You simply cannot visit Wales without encountering “Y Ddraig Goch” – the iconic red dragon that adorns the Welsh flag, as well as most souvenirs you’ll end up buying in Wales.
About The Author
Heather is passionate about everything language-related. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, she holds a TEFL certification from Aberystwyth University and a Bachelor's degree in Linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. Along with her native English, she speaks Italian, Welsh, and a smattering of Japanese and French.
Llanfairpwllgwyngyll – What’s the origin & meaning in English?
On the coast of Anglesey in Wales, just a few miles from the Menai Strait, lies a town with a name so long that only the most dedicated Welsh learners can pronounce it properly: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. The actual name of the town is Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, or Llanfairpwll / Llanfair PG for short, but it is said that …
The Welsh Word for Microwave – Is it really popty ping?
Did you know that the most searched-for Welsh word on the web is microwave? (With the possible exception of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, of course!)
The widely accepted word is for microwave in Welsh is popty microdon (or just microdon) with popty meaning oven and microdon meaning microwave.
How to Say ‘Before’ in Welsh: O’r blaen or cyn?
When would you use cyn as opposed to o’r blaen in Welsh?
This is a question many beginners – and even some intermediate learners – struggle with, since both can be translated as “before” in English.
The Welsh Word for Snow – Eira / Ôd
Despite not seeing it very often, the Welsh have more than one word for that lovely white stuff that occasionally falls out of the sky during the cold months of the year!
The most common term for snow in Welsh is eira, a word which most learners will have encountered in their textbook at some point. When used as a verb (to snow), it becomes either bwrw eira or pluo eira. The latter literally means “it’s feathering snow” which makes sense since the Welsh refer to snowflakes as snow feathers (plu(f) eira).