If you’ve ever admired Tom Jones’ unique croon, Cerys Matthews’ poetic lyrics, or the lilting melody of a traditional Welsh folk tune, you’ll understand how Wales came to be known as Gwlad y Gân (the Land of Song). Cerddoriaeth (music) is a huge part of Welsh culture, and so it’s definitely worth being able to …
The Welsh word for soft or tender is meddal. The synonym esmwyth is also common, especially when discussing something that is silky or smooth to the touch, such as soft hair (gwallt esmwyth). Both words can be used to describe something that is physically soft, as well as someone’s attitude or personality. Meddal can also …
Today’s word of the day is cariad which is the Welsh word for love. If you’ve ever been to a souvenir shop in Wales, you’ve probably seen this word plastered on mugs, teddies and all sorts of little trinkets, but did you know cariad actually has a few different meanings and uses? Maybe there’s a …
Yesterday, we learned about the word melyn (yellow), but today’s word of the day is melin. Melin is the Welsh word for mill – the two words are pronounced the same, but just one letter makes a big difference in meaning! melin mill Melin (plural: melinau) comes from the Latin word molinum and is related …
In North Wales, the word for a cup, as in the kind of cup used for the nation’s favourite hot drink, is cwpan. Its plural form is cwpanau. You may also encounter the variation cwpa without the word-final n in South Wales. cwpan cup The word was borrowed from the Old English cuppan, which was …
Whenever I used to visit the hairdresser as a teenager, I was inevitably greeted with the comment Mae gen ti wallt mor drwchus! (You have such thick hair!) as soon as the stylist touched my hair. Recently, however, I’m receiving more comments about the encroaching grey strands than anything else! gwallt hair Soft mutationwallt Nasal …
There was once a time when we all relied on pencils for jotting down notes and lists. However, with the rise of smartphones and computers, pencils have shifted from being essential writing tools to more of a go-to for sketching and drawing. In Welsh, the word for this stalwart tool is pensel. pensel pencil Note: …
Every country has its own unique customs, and Wales is no exception. For instance, it used to be customary to gift a llwy garu (lovespoon) to your beloved as a symbol of affection. In modern Wales, a more common tradition is enjoying a paned (cup) of tea in the afternoon, often accompanied by a slice …
The Welsh word for ‘milk’ in Welsh is llefrith or llaeth. Generally speaking, llefrith is used more in North Wales whereas llaeth is used more in South Wales. However, saying that, there are also some regional variations, depending where you are in the country. llefrith llaeth For example, in Bala, North Wales, people generally use …
Cacen is the Welsh word for cake, and in the south Wales dialect, you can also use teisen. Additionally, teisen is heard in some parts of north Wales, particularly on Ynys Môn – the Isle of Anglesey. In certain areas of north Wales, especially in the west and parts of Conwy county, variations like cacan …