Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

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Courtenay
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Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Courtenay »

Julie2owlsdene wrote:I don't think they'll be happy with the name callling, Courtenay, but whatever rocks your boat! :|
Julie, I'm not intending to call them by any of those names, whoever they actually are... do you not understand when someone's making a joke? :wink:
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Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

Courtenay wrote:
Julie, ... do you not understand when someone's making a joke? :wink:
Normally yes!

8)
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Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Courtenay »

Sorry for getting a bit facetious back there, Julie. I guess I just found it a bit irritating to be hit with "why would you want to learn a language that nobody speaks?" comments repeatedly, when I'd explained earlier what it was that attracted me to learning Cornish, and that I'm aware that only a tiny number of people, even in Cornwall, actually speak it or are at all interested in it. Hence my list of silly stereotypes of the sort of people who would bother to learn Cornish! :P But I really will be genuinely interested to find out who they are - if I do get to meet any at all, that is. :wink:
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Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Studying ancient languages is fascinating - whether they're being revived or whether they've been long-forgotten or whether they've gradually altered out of all recognition. Studying Old English (Anglo-Saxon) and Middle English taught me how the English we speak today began and evolved, and I'm aware that Latin also played a part in the way English developed.

Berber languages are the original languages of Morocco and other North African countries. Nowadays Berber is still widely spoken and understood in Morocco but for many years it was only used orally, with most speakers unable to write it (they would use Arabic and/or French for written communication). In recent years an effort has been made to revive the written form of Berber in Morocco - the alphabet looks like this:

http://wiki.verbix.com/Category/TifinaghScript" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

No probs, Courtenay. Having lived down here for over 23 years, I know the Cornish ways very well, and although there are a small number who like to keep the language alive, the vast majority just don't bother at all, and think it's all unnecessary, but as I said each to their own.

Some Cornish people I know haven't even been across the Tamar Bridge out of Cornwall, and have no wish to venture into foreign counties! :lol: :lol:

Some are against 'incomers' or emmits as they call them. They're a mixed bunch, but happily everyone I've met and worked with over the years are lovely people. :)

8)
Julian gave an exclamation and nudged George.
"See that? It's the black Bentley again. KMF 102!"

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Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Carlotta King »

Ah, the Rann Wartha pub, should be nice, as its a Wetherspoon's and they do nice meals at good prices!
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Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Courtenay »

Carlotta King wrote:Ah, the Rann Wartha pub, should be nice, as its a Wetherspoon's and they do nice meals at good prices!
So you've been Googling, Cathy! :wink: I didn't mention the pub name. You're right, Wetherspoons are always a reliably decent place to eat.
Anita Bensoussane wrote:Studying ancient languages is fascinating - whether they're being revived or whether they've been long-forgotten or whether they've gradually altered out of all recognition.
Glad someone else here understands the attraction of learning obscure languages! :lol: Very interesting to learn about the revival of the Berber alphabet too. I do already have a few semesters of Biblical Hebrew and Greek under my belt (from my university years), but at least Cornish uses the same alphabet as English!!
Julie2owlsdene wrote: Some are against 'incomers' or emmits as they call them.
Not furriners?? :mrgreen:
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Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by sixret »

Yes, it's a relief to know that someone can at least understand your favourite topic by not questioning it and making fun of it! :D
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Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Moonraker »

Courtenay wrote:
Carlotta King wrote:Ah, the Rann Wartha pub, should be nice, as its a Wetherspoon's and they do nice meals at good prices!
So you've been Googling, Cathy! :wink: I didn't mention the pub name. You're right, Wetherspoons are always a reliably decent place to eat.
I thought Miss King had been at the falling-down water - didn't have a clue what she was going on about! Should have known better!
Sixret wrote:Yes, it's a relief to know that someone can at least understand your favourite topic by not questioning it and making fun of it! :D
Oh, I don't know. What's life without a bit of mickey-taking and friendly banter?! Talking of banter, well done for using an apostrophe in Wetherspoon's, Carlotta! :twisted:
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Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

I've not been in the said mentioned pub. Hubby has though, as a lot of his work mates gather in there!

They don't talk in Cornish though, just go on and on about railways! :lol:

8)
Julian gave an exclamation and nudged George.
"See that? It's the black Bentley again. KMF 102!"

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Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Courtenay »

Oh, it's a specific group of Cornish speakers that meets every Monday there between 10 am and 12 noon. Don't worry, I'm not expecting anyone else there (or in the rest of Cornwall) to speak Cornish or to have much interest in doing so! :wink:

As for writing "Wetherspoons" earlier, I readily admit I was incorrect :oops: - I thought their official trading name didn't have an apostrophe, so I just looked it up. Turns out I must have been confusing them with Waterstones (who famously removed their apostrophe a few years ago). The correct name of the pub chain is in fact Wetherspoon - without any "s", let alone the apostrophe. :mrgreen:
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Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Moonraker »

A company who should know better is Foyle's - whose signage now says Foyles. For a bookseller, I find it alarming that they find punctuation unimportant.

However, you are not correct in saying that Wetherspoon's only use the singular form of their name, Courtenay, as the photo below shows:

Image
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Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Courtenay »

And see, they don't give it an apostrophe! :mrgreen: (Even though, yes, I agree it ought to have one.)
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Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

Despite whether it has an apostrophe or not, I believe the food is very reasonably priced. I've never eaten in Wetherspoon's so I think I'll have to give them a try. :)

8)
Julian gave an exclamation and nudged George.
"See that? It's the black Bentley again. KMF 102!"

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Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Moonraker »

Courtenay wrote:And see, they don't give it an apostrophe! :mrgreen: (Even though, yes, I agree it ought to have one.)
That was my point, Courtenay! :D
Courtenay wrote:The correct name of the pub chain is in fact Wetherspoon - without any "s"
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