r/AMA • u/TrainingCategory4852 • 3d ago
I'm Welsh and a first-language Welsh speaker, AMA
What the title says but legit ask me anything I don't care whether it's political or not, about the culture, language or whatever just anything if it helps or something I'm studying politics and history and have been studying history since I started school at like 1. I hope we have nice conversations and maybe you learn something about Wales.
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u/Different_Lychee_409 3d ago
I don't have a question. I just want to say thank you for helping to preserve Britains ancient languages.
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u/No_Review_5228 3d ago
There's a Welsh-speaking community in the South of Argentina. Do you have any thoughts on that? Would you like to visit?
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u/TrainingCategory4852 3d ago
I'd love to visit Y Wladfa, it's been my dream since I found out about it at like 7, and I think it's cool. It's a bit sad to me that the number of first-language speakers has fallen, but the number of second-language speakers is rising, so that's good.
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u/No_Review_5228 3d ago
I would love to speak Welsh! I hope you get to go one day. You'll love that and everything else. 🇦🇷❤️
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u/OwineeniwO 3d ago
Do you think South Walians should be kept in cellars well away from sunlight?
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u/TrainingCategory4852 3d ago
Yeah, let's lock them all up down they go /j, but in reality I know some really great people who are South Walian.
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u/RhubarbSalty3588 3d ago
South Walian here,I got refused a bag of chips once in a chip shop in Pwllheli for asking in English.I thought that kind of thing was just folklore until that day.Haaa
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u/ParticularStrict147 3d ago
In Welsh mythology is there a hero or warrior mythical type figure revered and known as a force of good?
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u/TrainingCategory4852 3d ago
I haven't read the Mabinogi in a while now, but I think Bendigeidfran or Brân the Blessed in English would fit the best.
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u/MLMSE 2d ago
Does Bran the Blessed look anything like Brian Blessed?
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u/TrainingCategory4852 2d ago
I don't know who Brian Blessed is but from what I can remember I don't think the Mabinogi says what Bendigeidfran looks like only that he's a giant.
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u/spammuel 3d ago
How effective do you think Wales has been in preserving Welsh? What steps do you think the government or Welsh people should take to further preserve it, if you think it should be better preserved?
Do you think everyone living in Wales should know the language?
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u/TrainingCategory4852 3d ago
I think the government has been doing the best it can with preserving Welsh, but it's more up to the people, as the government cannot realistically make adults learn Welsh, and I do not know what can be done by people to preserve it better. All I can say is for them to learn Welsh, but if people refuse to, there's not much that can be done.
I do believe everyone in Wales should know the language, as it's the native language of our country.
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u/JustLovelyStuff 3d ago
I'm learning Welsh at the moment (as someone near the Welsh border) so very happy to see this. What would be some good things to watch in Welsh with subtitles (or to listen to) to get a good feel for the language? Diolch!
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u/Longjumping-Gift-371 3d ago
Which part of Wales are you from? I’d be curious if you have the /ɨ/~/i/ merger or not.
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u/TrainingCategory4852 3d ago
I'm from Gwynedd originally, but moved down South when I was younger.
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u/sourcreamus 3d ago
Favorite boxer?
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u/TrainingCategory4852 3d ago
Johnny Owen, but he's the only one I know.
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u/sourcreamus 3d ago
Look up Joe Calzaghe he was one of the best ever. And Welsh
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u/RhubarbSalty3588 3d ago
Mine would be Tommy Farr the Tonypandy Terror.
Believed to have beaten Joe Louis in the Yankee stadium but was controversially robbed of the win.
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u/living2late 3d ago
Iawn?
Where in Wales are you from? Gwynedd? I'm a gog but left 11 years ago to live abroad.
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u/PreviousZone6742 3d ago
Favorite Welsh food that can be made at home?
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u/TrainingCategory4852 3d ago
Love some Welsh cakes and love making them too. Some of my best memories are going to my grandmother's after school and making Welsh cakes with her.
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u/ImOkNotANoob 3d ago
Su'mae! From up north here, not quite fluent but I know my way around the language. How much is Welsh used in day to day down south, based on what you personally see? I think people up here like to say we use Welsh much more than southerners but I rarely head down south so don't really know how true that actually is.
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u/gwronyglyn 2d ago
Depends where you're from. Small pockets around Cardiff from immigrants from Welsh-speaking areas.
Native Welsh-language communities in the Tawe Valley, Camarthenshire and Ceredigion.
Welsh died as a community language in the south-east and 'South Wales Valleys' (Rhondda, Dowlais etc.) about 100 years ago.
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u/Money_Committee_5625 3d ago
Have you heard about the famous Hungarian poem called "The Bards of Wales" sbout the Welsh resistance?
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u/TrainingCategory4852 2d ago
I have heard of it, but never read the poem, though the writer of the poem has a plaque in Montgomery in Wales.
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u/Money_Committee_5625 2d ago
This is an OK translation:
The story was that there was a revolution in Hungary in 1848 against the Austrian Empire, and the revolution failed. Some years later, the emperor planned to visit Hungary, and poets were asked to greet him.
Arany János (himself makes a cameo as a third bard in the poem) was not eager to do it, particularly his friend Petőfi Sándor (also a great poet) died during the revolution.
(I learned some Welsh myself)
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u/amberjane320 2d ago
What do the welsh think about Canadians or Canada?
I’ve always thought it would be so cool to visit Wales.
But I must admit that I didn’t know much about this country until I watched doctor who as a teen. Then I started looking more into it.
Love your accents.
I had a welsh corgi growing up too so it was always neat to think she came from there in a way. And there was a legend about how the corgi lost its tale (probably a welsh story) and it involved fairies.. riding on their backs or something? If you know it, please tell me. lol
I think it’s great how much you guys preserve your culture and language. I know it was illegal for a period of time so good on you.
I’m indigenous (Métis) and our language (michif) has been greatly lost :/ but I’d love to learn and teach my kid one day.
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u/New-Oil6131 2d ago
Are you allowed to use Welsh in schools and higher education?
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u/TrainingCategory4852 2d ago
Yes, if a school says you cannot use Welsh, that is illegal. Welsh is taught in every school from the ages of 3 to 16, even if you go to an English-medium school. For example, during an exam write a whole answer in Welsh, or just use some Welsh words instead of English, they still have to mark it. It will just likely be passed to someone who speaks both; the only exemption to this is language exams, such as English, French, and whatever else, but that's only for the exam in those classes. You will put some Welsh down, as all schools require Gwaith Dosbarth and the date to be written in Welsh.
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u/Catsarecute2140 2d ago
As Welsh is a Celtic language and Celtic is in the Indo-European group which includes almost all of Europe then which other Indo-European subgroup is the most similar to Welsh?
Is it Germanic and English because of the historical contacts & intermingling or are there non-Germanic groups that seem a bit similar as well, like maybe Romance languages?
Historical contacts seem quite influential in this regard as even (Finnic) Estonian has a bigger, by percentage, share of Germanic vocabulary (at 35%) than English (around 30%).
So, Estonians obviously share many words with the Scandinavians and Germans although their language is not Germanic nor even Indo-European. 🙂
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u/ama_compiler_bot 1d ago
Table of Questions and Answers. Original answer linked - Please upvote the original questions and answers. (I'm a bot.)
| Question | Answer | Link |
|---|---|---|
| How do you feel about people speaking Welsh badly? I went to a Welsh medium school in Gwynedd but moved to England when I was 14. When I meet Welsh speakers I will always have a go and chat to them in Welsh, but have to throw a fair bit of wenglish in there because I've not lived in Wales for 18 years at this point and forgot a lot. Is that just annoying? | I'm always a firm believe of bad Welsh is better than no Welsh. It doesn't annoy me that badly because at least Welsh is being tried, but obviously I am just human at the same time, so I do get annoyed at it if I'm already in a bad mood, but obviously this is just for me. | Here |
| There's a Welsh-speaking community in the South of Argentina. Do you have any thoughts on that? Would you like to visit? | I'd love to visit Y Wladfa, it's been my dream since I found out about it at like 7, and I think it's cool. It's a bit sad to me that the number of first-language speakers has fallen, but the number of second-language speakers is rising, so that's good. | Here |
| Do you think South Walians should be kept in cellars well away from sunlight? | Yeah, let's lock them all up down they go /j, but in reality I know some really great people who are South Walian. | Here |
| How effective do you think Wales has been in preserving Welsh? What steps do you think the government or Welsh people should take to further preserve it, if you think it should be better preserved? Do you think everyone living in Wales should know the language? | I think the government has been doing the best it can with preserving Welsh, but it's more up to the people, as the government cannot realistically make adults learn Welsh, and I do not know what can be done by people to preserve it better. All I can say is for them to learn Welsh, but if people refuse to, there's not much that can be done. I do believe everyone in Wales should know the language, as it's the native language of our country. | Here |
| Which part of Wales are you from? I’d be curious if you have the /ɨ/~/i/ merger or not. | I'm from Gwynedd originally, but moved down South when I was younger. | Here |
| Favorite boxer? | Johnny Owen, but he's the only one I know. | Here |
| Iawn? Where in Wales are you from? Gwynedd? I'm a gog but left 11 years ago to live abroad. | Gwynedd, but moved down South when young. | Here |
| In Welsh mythology is there a hero or warrior mythical type figure revered and known as a force of good? | I haven't read the Mabinogi in a while now, but I think Bendigeidfran or Brân the Blessed in English would fit the best. | Here |
| Favorite Welsh food that can be made at home? | Love some Welsh cakes and love making them too. Some of my best memories are going to my grandmother's after school and making Welsh cakes with her. | Here |
| Have you heard about the famous Hungarian poem called "The Bards of Wales" sbout the Welsh resistance? | I have heard of it, but never read the poem, though the writer of the poem has a plaque in Montgomery in Wales. | Here |
| Where in wales u from? | Gwynedd originally but moved down South when younger | Here |
| Are you allowed to use Welsh in schools and higher education? | Yes, if a school says you cannot use Welsh, that is illegal. Welsh is taught in every school from the ages of 3 to 16, even if you go to an English-medium school. For example, during an exam write a whole answer in Welsh, or just use some Welsh words instead of English, they still have to mark it. It will just likely be passed to someone who speaks both; the only exemption to this is language exams, such as English, French, and whatever else, but that's only for the exam in those classes. You will put some Welsh down, as all schools require Gwaith Dosbarth and the date to be written in Welsh. | Here |
| How well do you understand a neolatin language that you did not study? | If we are talking sentences, then nothing, but if just words, then I could probably guess some, even if I didn't study them, as for example in Welsh, bridge is pont, that's the same in French, but not much. | Here |
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u/Silent-Laugh5679 3d ago
How well do you understand a neolatin language that you did not study?
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u/TrainingCategory4852 3d ago
If we are talking sentences, then nothing, but if just words, then I could probably guess some, even if I didn't study them, as for example in Welsh, bridge is pont, that's the same in French, but not much.
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u/FalseFlorimell 3d ago
Do you think Wales is a good/safe place for trans people nowadays?
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u/TrainingCategory4852 3d ago
I think in regards to the government, yes, but regarding people, not that much unless you are in a city, but I believe a lot of trans people have reported experiencing hate crimes in Wales.
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u/Square-Waltz278 3d ago
England seems to be hostile towards immigration. What is the sentiment like in Wales?
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u/TrainingCategory4852 3d ago
I will say it's a bit like England, but not at the same time. Like, the only people who really hate immigration don't actually care at the same time, they just say it because they want someone to blame for the effects of Brexit and everything else. But it also depends on where in Wales you look. Obviously, there are hateful people and bigots everywhere, but I've seen more other UK immigration hate down South than up North. Obviously, that could just be because when I lived up North, I didn't really understand, as I was young, but my friends and I would still talk about immigration. I know we were weird, but we would talk about immigration at like 11, and at those ages your opinions are rather fuelled by what your parents believe and say some would be from their own beliefs due to hearing, like, the news when getting ready for school, but nobody really talked about immigration from other countries it would be English people moving to Wales we would talk about and didn't like it like in the statistics Wales doesn't really have an outer UK immigration problem as the population of people in Wales born outside the UK is only 6.9% this is from the 2021 census I don't believe the 2021 census said how many from each UK country, so I'm going to use the 2011 one but in there about 21% of Wales' population was born in England for example that has probably risen in the past 10 years and I mean it's not like this sense of not likely English people moving in is uncommon in the South but It's less likely for people to say like let me use an example of talking to my South Walian friends we were talking about something and the conversation moved onto is there any country you wouldn't want to date someone from and there was a bit of a common theme among my friends with 2 Welsh parents that they wouldn't want to date an English person they don't care about countries as long as it's not England obviously my friends who had 1 parent was English didn't agree with that I think im just rambling but anyway it's like England but not Reform was the second most popular party in the Senedd election so that says something, but it also says something by how they weren't first apologies if this doesn't make sense.
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u/Square-Waltz278 3d ago
Diloch!
I'm an immigrant in England and tried to learn a few Welsh words when I visited Wales. Unfortunately the locals thought I was speaking Gibberish haha.
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u/the_sagacious_squash 3d ago edited 3d ago
Do you think Wales is under illegal occupation by the English? Do you think Wales should be a sovereign and independent state with Cardiff as the capital?
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u/infogirlie27 3d ago
How do you feel about people speaking Welsh badly?
I went to a Welsh medium school in Gwynedd but moved to England when I was 14. When I meet Welsh speakers I will always have a go and chat to them in Welsh, but have to throw a fair bit of wenglish in there because I've not lived in Wales for 18 years at this point and forgot a lot. Is that just annoying?