Category: Welsh (Cymraeg)

Definite countries

By Simon

Only a few country names are accompanied by the definite article in English. These include the UK, the USA, the Netherlands, the Gambia, the Sudan, the Ukraine and the Lebannon. In some cases the definite article is only used occasionally – Sudan and Lebannon, for example, usually manage perfectly well without it. Why some countries are more definite than others is a bit of a mystery. Any suggestions?

In Welsh only some of countries have the definite article, though not the same ones as in English. Examples include yr Ariannin (Argentina), yr Aifft (Egypt), y Ffindir (Finland), yr Almaen (Germany), yr Eidal (Italy), yr Iseldiroedd (the Netherlands), yr Alban (Scotland), y Swdan (the Sudan), y Swistir (Switzerland) and yr Unol Daleithiau (the United States).

Most countries have the definite article in Irish, with the exception of Alba (Scotland), Ceanada (Canada), Cúba (Cuba), Gána (Ghana), Iosrael (Israel), Lucsamburg (Luxembourg), Meicsiceo (Mexico), Maracó (Marocco) and Sasana (England)

Word of the day – eisteddfod

By Simon

eisteddfod /aɪˈstɛðvəd/ (pl. eisteddfodau), noun – cwrdd cystadleuol, eisteddiad. eisteddfod

Related words
eistedd, verb – gorffwys ar sedd neu gadair, seddu. to sit, to seat
eisteddfa / eisteddle, noun – lle i eistedd, sedd. seat
eisteddfodol, adjective – yn ymweud ag eisteddfod. eisteddfodic, to do with eisteddfodau
eisteddfodwr, noun – un sy’n mynychu eisteddfodau. an eisteddfod-goer

Eisteddfod is one of the few Welsh words that is used in English, at least in the UK. The word is derived from eistedd, to sit/seat. The first eisteddfod was held in 1176 by Rhys ap Gruffydd of Deheubarth at his court in Cardigan (Aberteifi), when he invited poets and musicians from all over Wales to a grand gathering. The best poet and best musician were awarded a chair at the Rhys’ table, a tradition that continues to this day.

The modern eisteddfod, which dates back to the late 19th century, is a folk festival featuring music, poetry, dance, drama and literature. Local, small-scale eisteddfodau are held all over Wales, and there a number of larger eisteddfodau, including the National Eisteddfod of Wales or Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru, which is held once a year alternating between North and South Wales, and the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod or Eisteddfod Gerddorol Ryngwladol Llangollen, featuring performers and visitors from all over the world, and held annually in Llangollen.

The 2006 National Eisteddfod is currently going on in Swansea (Abertawe), and you can hear live broadcasts from it on Radio Cymru. For details, see: www.eisteddfod.org.uk

Word of the day – gwlyb

By Simon

gwlyb /’gulIb/, adjective = wet, dank, sloppy, liquid

gwlyb, ansoddair = gwleb, yn cynnwys hylif, llaith, wedi gwlychu, yn bwrw glaw

This is a lovely Welsh word that looks impossible to pronounce to non-Welsh speakers. It actually sounds something like goo-lib – both w and y are vowels in Welsh.

Related words
gwlypach, comparative – wetter
gwlypa(f), superlative – wettest
gwlybaniaeth, noun – moisture
gwlybwr, noun – liquid
gwlybyrog, adjective – wet, liquid
gwlychu, verb – to wet, soak, drench

Examples of usage:

oedd hi’n gwlyb y bore ma ym Mrighton
– it was wet in Brighton this morning (there was a big storm)

bydd hi’n wlypach o lawer yn y De nag yn y Gogledd
– it will be a lot wetter in the South than in the north

This and that

By Simon

Most languages I’ve encountered seem to have a way of indicating that something or somebody is close to the speaker, i.e. this man, or close to the listener, i.e. that man. Some languages make a third distinction: that something is distant from both the speaker and the listener. In standard English you can express this idea by saying something like ‘that man over there’, but in some dialects of English you can say ‘yon man’, ‘yonder man’ or ‘that there man’.

Does anybody know of any languages that make further distinctions?

In the Celtic languages there are no single words for this and that. Instead they use the constructions ‘the man here’ and ‘the man there’.

Irish
an duine seo – this man
an duine sin – that man
an duine úd – that man over there / yonder man

Scottish Gaelic
an duine seo – this man
an duine sin – that man
an duine siud – that man over there / yonder man

Manx
yn dooinney shoh – this man
yn dooinney shen – that man
yn dooinney shid – that man over there / yonder man

Welsh
y dyn ʼma – this man
y dyn ʼna – that man
y dyn acw – that man over there / yonder man

Word of the day – haul

By Simon

haul, noun = sun (the aul sounds like aisle)

Related words:
heulog = sunny
heulo = to be sunny
heulwen = sunshine
torheulo = to sunbathe
lliw haul = suntan
llosg haul = sunburn
sbectol haul = sunglasses
codiad yr haul = sunrise
machlud = sunset

Examples of usage:
Dw i’n hoffi codi’n gynnar er mwyn gweld yr haul yn codi = I like to get up early to see the sun rising

Mae’r haul yn machlud = the sun is setting

Yn llygad yr haul = in the sunshine (lit. “in the eye of the sun”)

Mae hi’n heulog iawn ac eitha boeth ym Mrighton heddiw = It’s very sunny and quite hot in Brighton today.

Dw i’n mynd allan i mwynhau’r heulwen rŵan. Time to go out any enjoy the sunshine now!

Word of the day – dylunio gwe

By Simon

dylunio gwe = web design
dylunio = to design; gwe = web, gauze, texture

Heddiw, o’r diwedd, dw i’n wedi dod o hyd i’r gair Cymraeg am web design, a thermau defnyddiol eraill fel systemau rheoli cynnwys, datblygu gwefanau a mewnrwydi. Rŵan, os oes angen arna i, dw i’n gallu siarad am y pethau hyn.

Today, I finally found the Welsh word for web design, and a number of other useful words such as content management system, website development and intranet. So I can now talk about these things in Welsh if the need every arises.

I find it interesting to see how different languages deal with terminology for new inventions and technology. Some just borrow the words from the original language (often English), some translate the terms, and others coin new words from their existing word stock. For example, computer is 计算机 (jìsuànjī) – “calculating machine” in China and 電腦 (diànnào) – “electric brain” in Taiwan, while in Japan it’s コンピューター (konpyūtā). The Welsh word for computer is cyfrifiadur – “thing that counts/calculates”.

I read somewhere that Iceland they hold a national competition to come up with words for new inventions. Does anybody know if this is true? One such word is tulva (computer), which literally means “number seer” or “fortune teller”.

In the case of Welsh, official terms may exist for most new inventions, but they aren’t necessarily used in everyday speech. Usage of the official terms tends to more common in formal settings. In informal situations, people often use the English terms, or alternative Welsh words they’ve coined. For example, the official term for ‘to send text message’ is anfon neges testun, but many people just say tecstio.

Source of the Welsh terms: www.technoleg-taliesin.com