Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Anything goes! Use this forum to get to know each other.
User avatar
Rob Houghton
Posts: 16029
Joined: 26 Feb 2005, 22:38
Favourite book/series: Rubadub Mystery, Famous Five and The Find-Outers
Favourite character: Snubby, Uncle Robert, George, Fatty
Location: Kings Norton, Birmingham

Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Rob Houghton »

Very nationalistic! :shock:
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



Society Member
User avatar
Courtenay
Posts: 19274
Joined: 07 Feb 2014, 01:22
Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series, Galliano's Circus
Favourite character: Lotta
Location: Both Aussie and British; living in Cheshire

Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Courtenay »

I just encountered this story (originally posted on Facebook) which is currently doing the rounds — it cracked me up:
The most perfect thing I have ever seen just happened on the replacement train bus service between Newport and Cwmbran:

White man sat in front of a mother and her son. Mother was wearing a niqab. After about 5 minutes of the mother talking to her son in another language the man, for whatever reason, feels the need to tell the woman "When you're in the UK you should really be speaking English."

At which point, an old woman in front of him turns around and says, "She's in Wales. And she's speaking Welsh."

Perfect.
:mrgreen:
Society Member

It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
User avatar
Rob Houghton
Posts: 16029
Joined: 26 Feb 2005, 22:38
Favourite book/series: Rubadub Mystery, Famous Five and The Find-Outers
Favourite character: Snubby, Uncle Robert, George, Fatty
Location: Kings Norton, Birmingham

Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Rob Houghton »

Love it! :lol: :lol:
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



Society Member
User avatar
Courtenay
Posts: 19274
Joined: 07 Feb 2014, 01:22
Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series, Galliano's Circus
Favourite character: Lotta
Location: Both Aussie and British; living in Cheshire

Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Courtenay »

Here's something else I ran across that may be of interest:

9 fascinating facts about the Welsh language
Society Member

It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
User avatar
Moonraker
Posts: 22387
Joined: 31 Jan 2005, 19:15
Location: Wiltshire, England
Contact:

Re: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogog

Post by Moonraker »

The village was originally called Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll. The long name was invented to promote the village to tourists upon the arrival of the railway in the 1850s. A local cobbler came up with the name and didn't realise he had come up with one of the most successful tourist marketing plans of all time! It is known to locals as Llanfairpwll or Llanfair. P.G.
Society Member
User avatar
Courtenay
Posts: 19274
Joined: 07 Feb 2014, 01:22
Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series, Galliano's Circus
Favourite character: Lotta
Location: Both Aussie and British; living in Cheshire

Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Courtenay »

I was aware of that too — its real name is technically still Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll (or Llanfairpwllgwyngyll). But did you know the world's official longest place name is in New Zealand...
Taumatawhakatangi­hangakoauauotamatea­turipukakapikimaunga­horonukupokaiwhen­uakitanatahu

(And according to the Wikipedia link, there are even longer versions of it, too. 8) )
Society Member

It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
User avatar
Moonraker
Posts: 22387
Joined: 31 Jan 2005, 19:15
Location: Wiltshire, England
Contact:

Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Moonraker »

Yes, I did! :D
Society Member
User avatar
Daisy
Posts: 16632
Joined: 28 Oct 2006, 22:49
Favourite book/series: Find-Outers, Adventure series.
Location: Stoke-On-Trent, England

Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Daisy »

So did I... and I thought Watzisname's real name was hard enough to say! :roll:
'Tis loving and giving that makes life worth living.

Society Member
User avatar
Julie2owlsdene
Posts: 15244
Joined: 24 Jul 2007, 20:15
Favourite book/series: F.F. and Mystery Series - Five get into Trouble
Favourite character: Dick
Location: Cornwall

Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

How knowledgeable some of us are on here!

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

Society Member
User avatar
Courtenay
Posts: 19274
Joined: 07 Feb 2014, 01:22
Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series, Galliano's Circus
Favourite character: Lotta
Location: Both Aussie and British; living in Cheshire

Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Courtenay »

Daisy wrote:So did I... and I thought Watzisname's real name was hard enough to say! :roll:
Just as well Watzisname wasn't either Welsh or Maori! :lol:
Society Member

It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
User avatar
Moonraker
Posts: 22387
Joined: 31 Jan 2005, 19:15
Location: Wiltshire, England
Contact:

Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Moonraker »

Julie2owlsdene wrote:How knowledgeable some of us are on here!
Not really, I only saw it when I was researching Llanfair PG !
Society Member
User avatar
Courtenay
Posts: 19274
Joined: 07 Feb 2014, 01:22
Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series, Galliano's Circus
Favourite character: Lotta
Location: Both Aussie and British; living in Cheshire

Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Courtenay »

As did I. :wink:
Society Member

It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
User avatar
Courtenay
Posts: 19274
Joined: 07 Feb 2014, 01:22
Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series, Galliano's Circus
Favourite character: Lotta
Location: Both Aussie and British; living in Cheshire

Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Courtenay »

Meanwhile, on a Channel 4 weather report last year...

Liam Dutton nails pronouncing Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch :mrgreen:

(Not with a very Welsh-sounding accent, but he certainly got it pretty well!)
Society Member

It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
User avatar
Anita Bensoussane
Forum Administrator
Posts: 26770
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 23:25
Favourite book/series: Adventure series, Six Cousins books, Six Bad Boys
Favourite character: Jack Trent, Fatty and Elizabeth Allen
Location: UK

Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

I just watched that clip with the subtitles on. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch came out as "plan by the cross-linking to go get cleaned Robert Francis to do go go go"!
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


Society Member
User avatar
Courtenay
Posts: 19274
Joined: 07 Feb 2014, 01:22
Favourite book/series: The Adventure Series, Galliano's Circus
Favourite character: Lotta
Location: Both Aussie and British; living in Cheshire

Re: Learning Welsh (and Other Languages)

Post by Courtenay »

:lol: Oh dear, it does too... I wonder if the good residents of Llanfair PG are aware that that's what it really means?? :mrgreen:
Society Member

It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
Post Reply