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.
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 want to try them out with the locals!
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 cultural currents. Take vintage names from the early 20th century, for example—they’re currently enjoying a renaissance in popularity!
Today, we’ll delve into the 10 most popular Welsh names for boys and men. These selections are derived from the latest data (2021) provided by the Office for National Statistics in England and Wales. Each name is accompanied by an audio file with the correct Welsh pronunciation. Perhaps you’ll find inspiration among these names when the moment arrives to choose the perfect one for your little bundle of joy!
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 confusing as a learner, so you will be pleased to know that I’ve created a list of the top 20 to help you out.
Looking to pay someone or something a compliment? Just like with other words, there are several different ways of saying ‘beautiful’ in the Welsh language. Here are the top 6 adjectives for you to learn.
Question words, also known as open question words, play a crucial role in helping individuals gather information about their surroundings. Unlike yes-no questions, open questions allow for a wide range of responses, necessitating answers that go beyond a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
In the Welsh language, there are several methods to construct questions using open question words, and many of these have direct equivalents in English. Let’s explore them now!
Verbs are very important for developing your language skills as they allow you to start building sentences. Without verbs it’s unlikely you will put a meaningful sentence together. The good news is that in comparison to other languages, such as Spanish or French for example, verbs in colloquial Welsh are relatively easy to remember as there as not as many irregular ones.
This article covers some of the most important and useful Welsh verbs in the present tense.
One notable feature associated with Wales, in addition to its rugby team and male voice choirs, is its unpredictable climate. A day can commence with bright sunshine and warmth, only to swiftly shift into a blustery, rain-soaked tempest. It’s one of the reasons we love living here – you never know what to expect!
Today we will be focusing on the weather phenomenon that gives Wales its luscious green hills: the rain, or glaw in Welsh. It is a masculine noun that is usually uncountable, although the plural forms glawiau or glawogydd do exist.
