Few animals have had such a great impact on British civilisation as the humble ceffyl (horse). The domestication of horses began in Britain by the 25th century BC. Over the years, they have been used for warfare, agriculture and transportation. Today, horses are kept mostly for recreational purposes, but they remain a much-loved animal across …
One of the top attractions of Cymru (Wales) as a holiday destination, or a place to build a home, has got to be all the amazing cerdded (walking) that you can do! Whether it’s the awe-inspiring peaks of Eryri (Snowdonia) and y Bannau Brycheiniog (the Brecon Beacons), or the picturesque clifftops of Wales’ 1,700 miles …
Hardd is a common Welsh word meaning beautiful. It can be used to describe all kinds of people and things, and it shows up often in barddoniaeth (poetry), cerddoriaeth (music), and llên grefyddol (religious writings). hardd beautiful This word likely comes from the word ardd meaning a high place, which is ultimately derived from the …
For today’s word of the day, I want to sôn about the word sôn. This is a really useful Welsh word that in various contexts could be translated as to tell, to talk, to say, or to mention. It’s included in loads of common colloquial phrases. sôn to tell Sôn actually used to be spelt …
When you’re learning a new iaith (language), it’s tempting to focus on memorising lots of nouns and adjectives. They’re easier to relate to everyday life, and much less likely to present confusing grammatical challenges. But adverbs, prepositions and conjunctions are just as important. They’re key if you ever want to be able to use Welsh …
There are two words you could use to translate the word season into Welsh. One of these is adeg, which refers more generally to either a period of time or a specific of time. The other word, which is the subject of this article, is tymor. Its plural is tymhorau (seasons). tymor season / term …
Ever since I can remember, fy hoff liw (my favourite colour) has been melyn (yellow). My earliest memory is of my childhood bedroom, which had yellow wallpaper decorated with blue and red teddies. melyn yellow Melyn is only susceptible to the soft mutation: Soft mutationfelyn Nasal mutationN/A Aspirate mutationN/A Melyn comes from the same Proto-Celtic …
Living in the UK, I know I’m very lwcus (lucky) to have access to free healthcare through y Gwasanaeth Iechyd Gwladol (the National Health Service). But did you know that the NHS was actually founded by a Cymro (Welshman)? Aneurin Bevan was health minister of the UK’s post-World War Two llywodraeth (government). He spearheaded the …
We all have hopes and dreams for the future. Some of us may aspire to fame, while others are content with the idea of a simple life, surrounded by family, close friends, a home, and a fulfilling job. In Welsh, the word for hope is gobaith, which refers to the desire for something to happen …
How often do we find ourselves in situations that bring a sigh of sadness, anger, or despair, or perhaps a groan of pain, distress, or disapproval? (Too often, I’m afraid!) In Welsh, the verb-noun ochneidio perfectly captures the act of expressing these emotions through such sounds. ochneidio to sigh / to groan Etymologically speaking, it …