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.
Hydref has two meanings in Welsh: the season of Autumn and the month of October. To differentiate between the two, a lowercase ‘h’ is used for the season, and an uppercase ‘H’ is used for the month. Hydref, referring to Autumn, is viewed as the season between summer and winter, spanning through September, October, and …
Learning greetings is often one of the initial steps in acquiring a new language. Here I’ve compiled a list of key Welsh greetings, or cyfarchion Cymraeg, to aid you on your Welsh language venture. The following greetings are particularly relevant for informal settings, such as interactions with friends, family, or those you’re at ease with. …
Have you recently brought a new ci (dog in Welsh) into your home and find yourself grappling with the perfect name? Or perhaps you’re just intrigued by the most prevalent Welsh dog names? Look no further, as this blog post is your go-to guide for the most common dog names in Welsh. Research indicates that …
We’re almost at the end of another November, so what better time to talk about this common word?
The Welsh word for ‘November’ is ‘Tachwedd’, which is the eleventh month of the Gregorian calendar. Gweiadur states that the original definition of ‘Tachwedd’ was probably ‘Tynnu tua’r diwedd’, which means the end is near, i.e. the end of the year.
Tachwedd
November
With England right next door to Cymru, do you often wonder to yourself whether there are Welsh translations of the various dinasoedd (cities) around the country? Well, look no further, as some of these cities do in fact have Welsh names, and I’ve created a list of them for you to learn. You might even …
Today’s word of the day is lleuad (North Wales dialect), or lloer (South Wales dialect / literary form) which translates to ‘moon’ in English or ‘luna’ in Latin, the natural satellite that is approximately 238,000 miles away from earth.
Hiraeth is a comforting Welsh word that describes a mix of feelings or emotions. Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru translates it as:
‘grief or sadness after the lost or departed, longing, yearning, nostalgia, wistfulness, homesickness.’
The ebb and flow of name popularity is a dynamic phenomenon. Names that once dominated the charts a decade ago can fade into obscurity in the next, just like my own name, Heather. Frequently, names stage a comeback after years of being dormant, illustrating the cyclical nature of naming trends influenced by societal shifts and …
In this day and age, you will hear a lot of people using Welsh slang words or bratiaith, especially among the youth. Please remember that slang is very informal language and it can even offend some people, but it’s likely you’ll come across it on your Welsh language journey. Encountering these words can be quite …
