Knowledge and seeing

By Simon

I discovered today that there is a connection between the Gaelic word for knowledge, information, news – fios in Irish and Scottish Gaelic, fys in Manx – and the English words video and wit.

Their roots can all be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root woid-/wid- (to see/to know), which, according to the OED, is also the root of words such as the Sanskrit वेदा (veda – knowledge); the Latin vidēre to see); the Welsh gwybod (to know); the Lithuanian véidas (face); and the Greek ἰνδάλλεσθαι (to appear).

The Irish and Scottish Gaelic word fios is also related to the word fionn (white, fair, pale; sincere, true, certain; small; fine, pleasant), which is how I discovered this while putting together a new page of Scottish Gaelic colours – you can see how easily I get distracted. This doesn’t worry me as it’s all very interesting.

Les mots de la semaine

By Simon
français English Cymraeg Brezhoneg
baver; tomber goutte à goutte to dribble diferu; dafnio babouzat
dribbler to dribble (football) treiglo; driblo; driblan dribiliañ
le plombage filling (in tooth) llenwad plomadenn
le porche; la véranda porch porth; cyntedd; portsh porched; chambarleg; heolienn
la porte d’entrée (maison); la portière avant (voiture) front door drws ffrynt dor-dal
la porte de derrière back door drws cefn dor a-dreñv
le château; le manoir mansion plas; plasty castell; maner
le commerce équitable fair trade masnach deg kenwerzh reizh
la pleine lune harvest moon lleuad fedi; lleuad y nawnos olau; lleuad gynhaeaf loargann
la bouilloire kettle tecell; tegell kitell, pod-berver
c’est une autre paire de manches that’s another kettle of fish peth arall yw hynny ur c’hoari all eo an dra-se
la colonne vertébrale spine (of person/animal) asgwrn cefn livenn-gein

Avast, me hearties!

By Simon

As I’m sure you’re aware, today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, a celebration of the pirate dialect found in films and books and based on West Country English. This idea came from Dave Barry, a journalist and writing in Miami, who mentioned the idea is his newspaper column in 2002 as a joke. Now, according to the official Talk Like A Pirate Day website, millions of people around the world celebrate this day by having pirate-themed parties and talking like pirates.

Why are pirates often depicted as speaking with approximations of West Country accents?

According to Wikipedia, many pirate accents are based on the one used on that of Robert Newton, a native of Dorset (part of the West Country) with a strong Dorset accent, who played Long John Silver in the 1950 film Treasure Island, and also appeared in the 1952 film Blackbeard the Pirate.

According to the Dialect Blog, during the ‘Golden Age of Piracy’ – the late 17th and early 18th centuries – many English pirates came from Bristol, Devon and Cornwall, which are part of the West Country. Pirates are also given West Country accents in Robert Louis Stevenson’s stories.

Condughteyr noa

By Simon

Aahoshee y sheshaght chiaullee pobble Bangor riyr lesh condughteyr noa – darree ain shenn condughteyr dys Cardiff kegeesh er dy henney dy ve rish e leggad. Ta ain condughteyr noa stiurey sheshaght chiaullee elley ayn Abergele, as t’ee cummal eddyr ayns shid as ayns shoh ayn Deganwy. Ghow shin arraneyn noa, as arrane ta shin oayllagh rish, as t’eh yindyssagh dy ve goaill arrane ayns possan mooar reesht. Er lhiam dy vee ee condughteyr mie.

The Bangor community choir started again last night with a new conductor – our old conductor moved to Cardiff a fortnight ago to be with her partner. Our new conductor leads another choir in Abergelle, and she lives between there and here in Deganwy. We sang some new songs, and a song we knew, and it’s great to be singing in a large group again. I think she’ll be a good conductor.

Arran as baarey fuilt

By Simon

Va dramane ayn feie’n laa jea, as va leaumyn ayn chammah. ‘Sy voghrey ren mee arran. ‘Syn ‘astyr hie mee er son baarey fuilt, ren mee fuinney yn arran, as ren mee shuilgey smeir as ooylyn as ren mee broie ad ry-cheilley. Ren mee beggan obbyr as cliaghtey chiaullee chammah.

It drizzled all day yesterday, and there were some heavy showers as well. In the morning I made some bread. In the afternoon I had my hair cut, I baked the bread, and I picked some blackberries and apples and stewed them together. I also did a bit of work and music practice.

Jelune cadjin

By Simon

Cha haghyr monney jea – ren mee beggan obbyr, ren mee cliaghtey ymmodee greieyn-kiaull, as ‘syn oie hie mee dys thie oast Greagagh er son y possan coloayrtys yl-çhengagh. Agh dy meeaighar cha daink sleih erbee elley, myr shen haink mee dy valley lurg lieh oor.

Not much happened yesterday – I did a bit of work, I practised various instruments, and in the evening I went to the Greek taverna for the polyglot conversation group. Unfortunately nobody else turned up though, so I came home after half an hour.

Cymraeg ar y trên

By Simon

On my train back from London on Sunday evening the train manager started someone of his announcements Welsh. For example he said, “Croeso, welcome to this train”, and when checking tickets he said, “Diolch yn fawr, thank you very much” to everyone. I think this was the first time I’d heard Welsh being used on a train, so it caught my attention. I think that announcements on trains and stations in South Wales are usually in Welsh and English, but I had never heard them any elsewhere. The departures board in London Euston also listed the final destination of the trains as ‘Holyhead Caergybi’.

In Wales most signs are bilingual, as is printed material produced by public bodies. In Gaelic-speaking parts of Scotland some signs are bilingual and token amounts of Gaelic can be heard on ferries and sometimes elsewhere. The situation is similar with Manx in the Isle of Man. In Ireland many signs and notices are bilingual, but not much Irish is to be heard on public transport.

In other regions where minority languages are spoken, how visible / audible are the languages?

Goaill arrane son ushtey

By Simon

Hannee mee ayns Lunnin oie Jesarn, as moghrey jea ren mee rouail mygeayrt Lunnin. Hie mee dys Covent Garden er y traen fo-halloo, agh Cha row red erbee taghyrt ayns shen. Myr shen hooil mee dys Kerrin Trafalger, rish y Mall, as shaghey Plaasagh Buckingham. Va ratçh daawheeyl ayn – paart jeh triathalon. Eisht hooil mee trooid Pairk Noo Jamys as dys awin Thames. Hooil mee rish yn awin dys Droghad Toor ny yei shen, as dee mee kirbil. Haghyr mee er carrjyn voish Kior Pobble Bangor ayns shen as hie shin dys thie bee ry-cheilley.

Eisht ghow olteynyn y kior arrane rish olteynyn ram kioryn elley voish Sostyn, Nablin, Vretin Veg as Nerin – va mysh queig cheead jeu ayn, er lhiam, er son airgid y hroggal son WaterAid. Ny bleeantyn roish shen ghow mysh arrane roo hammah, agh mleeaney ren mee reaghey dy ve ‘syn lught eaishtagh, as v’eh yindyssagh.

I stayed in London on Saturday night, and yesterday morning I went for a wander around London. I got the tube to Covent Garden, but there wasn’t much happening there. So I walked to Trafalgar Square, along the Mall and by Buckingham Palace. There was a cycle race happening – part of a triathlon. Then I walked through St Jame’s Park and to the Thames. I walked along the river to Tower Bridge after that, and had some lunch. I bumped into friends from the Bangor Community Choir and we went to a café together.

Then the members of the choir, along with members of many other choirs from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland – there were about 500 of them, I think – sang in order to raise money for WaterAid. In previous years I have sung with them as well, but this year I decided to be in the audience, and it was wonderful.

Lunnin

By Simon

Hie mee dys Lunnin jea dys cur shilley er my vraar, my ven vraarey as m’inneen vraarey. T’ad cummal ayns arasane faggys da Droghad Lunnin as Margey Borough, agh t’ad smooinaghtyn er arraghey, as t’ad jeeaghyn er thieyn ayns Devon as ‘syn Chorn. T’ad goaill taitnys as shiaulley as by vie lhieu cummal faggys da’n cheayn.

Ansherbee, daag mee Bangor mysh leih oor lurg nuy as haink mee Lunnin mysh leih oor lurg munlaa. Hie mee dys my thie oast faggys da stashoon King’s Cross, as dys arasane my vraar ny yei shen. Dee shin kirbyl ayns shen – braddan, reise as sallaid – as haink mee ny quail rish m’inneen vraarey er yn chied cheayrt. T’ee queig meeghyn d’eash as t’ee eunyssagh.

I went to London yesterday to visit my brother, sister-in-law and niece. They live in a flat near London Bridge and Borough Market, but are thinking of moving, and are looking at houses in Devon and Cornwall. They enjoy sailing and would like to live near the sea.

Anyway, I left Bangor at about half nine and arrived in London at about half tweleve. I went to my hotel close to King’s Cross station, and to my brother’s flat after that. We ate lunch there – salmon, rice and salad – and I met my niece for the first time. She’s five months old and is delightful.