Nia is an aspiring writer from Powys, Wales. She attended Welsh-medium primary and secondary school, and is passionate about preserving the beautiful Welsh language and culture. She speaks some French, and is currently learning Arabic.
The Welsh word for twenty is ugain – although it’s technically not the only one, with the alternative dau ddeg (literally two tens) becoming more and more common. Still, ugain is very idiomatic and has a long history of being used in the Welsh language, as part of the traditional ugeiniol (vigesimal) counting system, which …
Have you ever wished you had adenydd (wings)? It’s a common theme throughout human history, from the story of Icarus and his balchder (pride) to the Wright brothers who eventually pioneered modern awyrennau (aeroplanes). There are two forms of wing in Welsh. One is adain and the other is aden. Most often, although not exclusively, …
Every single day, we make penderfyniadau (decisions) – from the little things, like what to have for brecwast (breakfast), to the life-changing, like what gyrfa (career) to pursue or whether to enter into a priodas (marriage). Those are the kind of things you can’t penderfynu ar amrantiad (make a snap decision) about! Penderfynu (to decide) …
One of the first and most important things we get taught in life is the value of rhannu (sharing). So, today’s Welsh word of the day is particularly important if you want to bring your kids up in Welsh, or you’re learning the language to work in schools or nurseries in Wales. rhannu to share …
Llonydd is one of my favourite Welsh words of all time. It can be used as an adjective or a noun. When it’s a noun, it’s masculine. It’s also abstract and uncountable, so there’s no plural form. llonydd serene / serenity It’s often translated into English as quiet, still, calm, or peaceful, or as the …
Today’s Welsh word of the day is parchus. It can be a little confusing, as it carries the dual meaning of both respectable and respectful. Which interpretation a native speaker naturally leans toward often depends on where in Wales they’re from. parchus respectable / respectful Those who primarily use parchus to mean respectful will often …
My parents’ house is surrounded by porfeydd (grazing fields). I’m quite fond of stopping to converse with the defaid (sheep) that occupy them any time of year – but it’s hard not to be biased towards gwanwyn (springtime), when the ŵyn (lambs) are at their liveliest. There’s this specific little naid (jump) I’ve noticed ŵyn …
The Welsh word for flying or to fly is the verb-noun hedfan. Any time I’ve taught someone this word I’ve told them to remember it by using the name of Harry Potter’s owl, Hedwig! hedfan to fly Sadly, there’s no etymological relationship between these two words! While Hedwig is an old German women’s name, hedfan …
The harsh, hissing sound of the Welsh word hyll has always struck me as a great representation of what it actually means: ugly. hyll ugly You can use hyll to describe masculine, feminine and plural nouns. Although hell is technically the feminine form, it’s not common at all. Hyllion is a bit more familiar, but …
Today’s Welsh word of the day is heddwch, which means peace. It’s hard to think of a more pleasant concept to discuss, so let’s dive right in! heddwch peace If you’re interested in pre-modern Welsh poetry and music, you may well have come across the word hedd, a synonym. In fact, hedd is the older …
