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.
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 …
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. 1. Hardd Let’s start with the most common one. This adjective can be used to describe a person (specifically a …
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 …
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 …
