Ollmhargadh

By Simon

Nuair a théim go dtí an t-ollmhargadh, mar níl ach aon rud amháin de dhíth orm, silim gur chóir dom níos mó rudaí a cheannaigh. De ghnáth ceannaím cúpla rud eile nach bhfuil uaim leis sin mar pasta, páipéar leithris nó sú torthaí. Níl fhois agam cén fáth go shilim mar seo, ach bím ag mothú míchompordach aon rud amháin ag ceannach san ollmhargadh. Aisteach, nach bhfuil? Níl an t-ollmhargadh suite i bhfad ó m’árasán – níl ach cúig bomaite siúil uaidh, déanta na fírinne, mar sin de níl uaim go leor rudaí a cheannach an turas a chosaint.

Archfarchnad

Pan dw i’n mynd i’r archfarchnad, os ’sdim ond un peth sy’n angen arna i, bydda i’n meddwl bod rhaid i mi prynu mwy o bethau. Fel arfer bydda i’n prynu pethau eraill dw i ddim angen bryd hynny fel pasta, papur toiled neu sudd ffrwythau. Dw i ddim yn gwybod pam ydw i’n meddwl fel ‘ny, ond dw i jyst yn teimlo yn anghysurus yn prynu ‘mond un peth yn yr archfarchnad. Rhyfedd, on’d ydy? Dydy’r archfarchnad pell o fy fflat – ‘mond pum munud o waith cerdded ohono yw hi, a dywed y gwir, felly ’sdim angen prynu llawer o bethau i gyfiawnhau’r daith.

nciku

By Simon

I found a new online Chinese dictionary called nciku today, via Sinosplice. The interface is in English and Chinese. It includes a handwriting recognition system which you can use to enter characters by hand, and which seems to work well, though was a bit slow for me. There’s a handy auto complete function which suggests words and expressions when you enter individual characters. The results include pinyin, sound files, words that feature the characters, and examples of usage, including idioms. There’s also some discussion of various Chinese-related topics. Unfortunately you have to sign up (for free) to use some of the functions.

Hwyrfrydigrwydd

By Simon

Mae cryn dipyn o bethau ydw i’n eisiau meistroli, yn gynnwys ieithoedd, yn enwedig Cymraeg, Gwyddeleg a Gaeleg yr Alban; y chwiban; canu a chaligraffeg. Hoffwn i dysgu y gitâr ac efallai y pibau, ac ysgrifennu nofelau hefyd. Beth sy’n fy stopio? Hwyrfrydigrwydd a diogi. Dw i’n jyst meddwl am bethau fel ‘ny, ond fel arfer gwnnaf ddim byd. Oes yr un problem ‘da ti?

Moilleadóireacht

Tá go leor rudaí atá mé ag iarraidh máistrigh, mar teangacha, go háirithe Breatnais, Gaeilge agus Gaeilge na hAlban; an fheadóg; amhránaíocht agus calligraphy. Ba mhaith liom an giotár agus b’fhéidir na píobaí a fhoghlaim, agus úrscéalta a scríobh chomh maith. Cad é atá ag cuir stad liom? Moilleadóireacht agus leisciúlacht. Bím ag smaoinigh faoin rudaí seo, ach de ghnáth, ní bhím ag déanamh faic. An bhfuil an fhadhb cheanna agatsa?

Procrastination

There are many things I’d like to master, such as languages, especially Welsh, Irish and Scottish Gaelic; the tin whistle; singing and calligraphy. I’d like to learn the guitar and maybe the bagpipes as well, and to write novels. What’s stopping me? Procrastination and laziness. I often think about these things but don’t usually do anything about them. Do you have similar difficulties getting things done?

Word of the day – cwtsh

By Simon

cwtsh [ku:tS] = to hug; to cuddle; to kiss; to lie down; a safe place; a cupboard/space under stairs; a scuttle (for coal); snug; cosy; nice and warm; a kiss.

It comes from the Welsh word cwtch, which originally meant a cupboard or cubbyhole, but later acquired the extra meanings to lie down; a cuddle or hug. It was adopted into Welsh from the Middle English couche, a resting or hiding place, which comes from the French coucher, to lie down; to sleep.

Examples of usage:

I just want to go and cwtch him = I just want to go and hug him.
– a comment apparently made by Elizabeth Taylor about Richard Burton

Give me a cwtsh = Give me a hug

This word is an example of Wenglish, a mixture of Welsh and English spoken by many people in Wales, especially in south Wales. It’s first recorded use in English was in the 1920s according to this page. It also the most popular word in Wales, according to this report. I heard being used in a song on Radio Cymru today. It’s a song I’ve heard quite a few times before, and now I finally know what it’s about.

New phrases page

By Simon

There’s a new phrases page on Omniglot – Please say that again – how to ask people to repeat something that you didn’t understand or hear clearly. A very useful phrase when you’re learning a language. Could you let me know if you spot any mistakes or have translations into other languages?

Yesterday Owen Lee very kindly sent me a complimentary copy of his book Ultimate Language Secrets for review (感谢你!). Owen promises that the book will help “slash the time, effort and money” involved in learning languages, help you to avoid “blunders” made by most language learners, and to master any language in as little as 6 months.

Owen, who speaks Shanghainese, Mandarin, English, German, Dutch and Spanish, has tested all the suggestions in his book thoroughly and is very confident they will work for others.

I’ve just started reading it, will let you know how I get on.

Office Speak / Béarlagair na hOifige

By Simon

Today I found a useful site that has Irish versions of some popular phrases used in offices, some of which are words of wisdom from that great leader, David Brent of the BBC comedy series, The Office.

Here are a few examples:

Mura n’éiríonn leat an chéad uair, faigh réidh leis an bhfianaise go ndearna tú aon iarracht.
If at first you don’t succeed, remove all evidence you ever tried.

Ní botún é, is deis foghlama é
Its not a mistake, it’s a good learn

Éirim tuirseach den obair go héasca, mar sin caithfidh post m’aird a tharraingt
I get bored easily so a job really needs to keep my interest

Bíodh a fhios agat cad iad do chuid teorainneacha agus bí sásta leo. Ciallaíonn barraíocht uaillmhianta ardú céime chuig post nach mbeidh tú in ann aige.
Know your limitations and be content with them. Too much ambition results in promotion to a job you can’t do.

Chlis an tiomantán crua agus chaill mé mo chuid teachtaireachtaí ríomhphoist go léir
The hard drive crashed and I lost all my emails

Pleananna Cliste

By Simon

Le déanaí bhí mé ag smaoineamh ar cad é atá mé ag iarraidh a dhéanamh sa todhchaí. Bhuel, i ndáiríre bhí mé ag smaoineamh ar an rud seo le blianta beaga anuas. Bhí mé ag smaoineamh ar páirt a ghlacadh sa sorcas, ar mhúinteoireacht, ar chéim máistir a dhéanamh, nó ar rud éigin éagsúil ar fad a dhéanamh mar taisteal timpeall an domhain ar rothar nó ar scátaí.

Cén fáth? Bhuel, bím ag obair sa post céanna le ocht mbliana anuas. Cé go bhfuil mo thuarastal maith, níl sé an post is suimiúla an domhain, agus ba maith liom rud éagsúil a dhéanamh agus b’fhéidir i mo chónaí in áit eile. An bhliain seo chugainn tá súil agam go mbeidh mé in ann beo ar an ioncam a gheobhaidh mé ó Omniglot chomh maith.

Ar faoi láthair mo phlean atá céim máistir sa teangeolaíocht a dhéanamh san Ollscoil na Breataine Bige, Bangor ar an bhliain seo chugainn. Tabharfaidh sé deis dom m’eolais faoi teangeolaíocht a fheabhsú, agus tá súil agam go mbeidh Breatnais líofa agam i ndiaidh bliain ansin.

I ndiaidh sin, b’fhéidir déanfaidh mé cúrsa ar ceol traidisiúnta agus Gaeilge na hAlban sa Colaisde Bheinn na Faoghla.

Planau Cyfrwys

Yn diweddar dw i wedi bod yn meddwl am beth ydw i eisiau gwneud yn y dyfodol. Wel, a dweud y gwir, dw i wedi bod yn meddwl am y peth hyn ers cryn dipyn o flwyddyn. Dw i’n ystyried ymuno â’r syrcas, dyfod yn athro, gwneud gradd Meistr, neu gwneud rhywbeth hollol wahanol fel beicio neu sglefrolio o gwmpas y byd.

Pam? Wel, dw i wedi gweithio yn yr un swydd dros yr wyth mlynedd diwethaf. Er fod nghyflog yn dda, dydy hi ddim y swydd mwyaf diddorol yn y byd, ac hoffwn i’n gwneud rhywbeth wahanol, ac efallai byw rhywle arall. Gobeithio y blwyddyn nesa gallaf byw ar y incwm o Omniglot hefyd.

Ar hyn o bryd, fy nghynllun yw gwneud gradd Meistr yn y ieithyddiaeth ym Mrifysgol Cymru, Bangor y flwyddyn nesa. Bydd hynny’n rhoi cyfle i fi ffurfioli a gwella ngwybodaeth am ieithyddiaeth, a gobeithio bydda i’n rhugl yn y Gymraeg ar ôl blwyddyn yno.

Ar ôl hynny, effallai bydda i’n gwneud cwrs mewn cerddoriaeth traddodiadol a Gaeleg yr Alban yng Ngholeg Benbecula.

Riviera Lloegr / The English Riviera

By Simon

A photo of Paignton beach and pier

The towns of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham in the county of Devon in the south west of England are marketed collectively by the local tourist board as ‘The English Riviera‘. Their website offers provides information in a number of languages – the usual suspects like French, German, Italian and Spanish, and also Dutch, Polish, Chinese and Japanese. Recently they’ve had part of the site translated into Welsh – a first for English holiday resorts, according to this article.

A spokesman for the English Riviera Tourist Board said,

“We are a popular destination for visitors from Wales. The Welsh language should be used more on publicity like this in England. It is a UK language.

The board’s director, who used to be in charge of tourism in Anglesey, doesn’t speak Welsh herself, but has a fondness and commitment to preserving the language.

There are also plans to provide downloadable MP3 walking tours for the area in Welsh.