Heledd Gwyndaf, Cadeirydd Cymdeithas yr Iaith | Breakfast

Heledd Gwyndaf, Cadeirydd Cymdeithas yr Iaith yn trafod Strategaeth iaith llywodraeth Cymru ar BBC Breakfast. Gorffennaf 11, 2017.

[@martinwatts9461]

Hundreds of years??? It was spoken before English came into being

[@ATee-vx6dm]

It doesn't really mean anything to give a modern language an age - they've all been evolving since language began. What is true though is that there were celtic languages in Britain long before Germanic ones and Welsh is the modern living celtic language of Wales.

[@vaughanr.collinson3558]

@@ATee-vx6dm Actually, research over the last 20 years has backed up what the Archaeologists have thought for a long time. They always had a problem with the idea of an Anglo Saxon invasion - no evidence for it has ever been found in the archaeological record - and such events always leave their mark. Etymological studies, new studies of Roman writings, and DNA evidence, now firmly shows that the 'English' and 'Celts' both arrived in the British peninsular (from different directions) before the melting of the ice that formed the Channel and the North Sea and it became an island. Indeed the ethnic and language division on the island (roughly between the east [Germanic] and west [Celtic]) has been around for much, much longer than previously recognised. DNA studies have shown that 80% of the current British population of European descent have a genetic ancestry on the island going back anywhere from 11 - 17,000 years. Although the 'modern English' language didn't come into being until 150-200 years after the Norman invasion. The Normans destroyed 80% of the vocabulary of old English as they tried to wipe it out - but the syntax survived. The original English was there for a very, very long time before the Romans. Personally I think it a tragedy if the Welsh language disappears. People should have more pride in it. It's a wonderful thing, and part of our rich cultural history.

[@ajs41]

@@damonhodder Funny thing is most people in England would have spoken a language very similar to Welsh more than a thousand years ago.

[@gwynwilliams4222]

Ye that's right Welsh has been evolving for about 10 thousand years

[@petrovonoccymro9063]

The fact is that words borrowed from the Roman Latin into Welsh show that Welsh, or something very similar to modern Welsh, was being spoken when the Romans arrived two thousand years ago. A few examples that spring to mind are pysgod , for fish, Pont, for bridge, eglwys, for church. And most linguists say that to be spoken at all, a language must have existed for two thousand years. Meaning Welsh, inlcuding its Brythonic predecessor,has been around for at least four thousand years. Not the hundreds of years mentioned by the interviewer.

[@tommartin2423]

Feel the passion, the pain, the fire, the love, the vision, all aflame and beaming from this woman.

[@FranzBieberkopf]

When she started to go on about minoritisation and colonisation. I started yawning. She sees the Welsh and English languages as the goodies and the baddies. Might be good to cheer the punters at a rally, but it's pi$$ poor history. Also she sees the 70% + of the Welsh who are English speakers as people entirely without agency, needing to be saved by her good self.

[@jamesjenner8159]

Correction: the language referred to as being Welsh has not been spoken a mere hundreds of years but has been the language of the native Britons for thousands of years. Cymru am byth!

[@bandit61000]

Clywch clywch.

[@therecalcitrantseditionist3613]

I mean it's roots go back that far, but it's by no means the same as Brithonic. it would be like calling north germanic and modern Swedish the same language. these things change a lot over time and arent mutually intelligible

[@lordracula2461]

​@@therecalcitrantseditionist3613 Pedantic.. Welsh is indigenous where English is not. That is the point. Father-to-son the language that is now the language of Wales has been spoken in Britain for thousands of years

[@philowen6739]

@@lordracula2461 it's no more indigenous than English, really... It probably only predates it here by about 1500 years, which in terms of the history of human habitation of the British Isles is pretty short. Dwi'n dal yn caru Cymru ac yr iaith Cymraeg 😊 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿.

[@lordracula2461]

@@philowen6739 Do a bit of research.. welsh is prehistoric

[@janiap5235]

Welsh will always be spoken. Very proud indeed of my language it will Always be spoken, English is just a second language to us

[@tylerdurden1734]

Love it! So attractive to see a woman with so much passion for something. Da iawn, diolch

[@therespectedlex9794]

It's a chippy, annoying and clannish place Wales. We've been saying it for centuries.

[@raechelwren5344]

@@therespectedlex9794 well, if your culture was being eradicated, I feel that you’d feel the same way.

[@therespectedlex9794]

@@raechelwren5344 Sometimes that increases empathy for your fellow oppressed. Other people are just incredibly petty, and brainwashed by this shit. Either you've got a culture or you haven't.

[@gregorygilmore3190]

Da lawn saraid comraeg bit Well i try in new england,usa

[@offal]

she looks touched...

[@Capybarrrraaaa]

Usually, the kind of language of oppressors and cultural-extermination used by Heledd is reserved for much "bigger" race-issues. At first, I was quite taken-aback hearing it applied to my own history in my own accent, but she's absolutely right. This placating of the English establishment and denying ourselves the dignity of standing firm that our heritage is our own to preserve how we wish is an all-too-common perspective here in de Cymru. Coping with the open-wounds has become the default, and it feels relieving to, finally, hear someone say that we shouldn't need to have to defend it yet again. That we shouldn't need a reason to reclaim our language, that it is ours to hold by birthright. By god, that's refreshing to hear.

[@davidvincent8929]

THE ENGLISH DOMINATED IN SIGNIFICANTLY HORRIFYING WAYS. WE ARE TOTALLY APPALLED AND SUPPORT THE WELSH. ANOTHER WAY IS USING IMMIGRATION OF AFRICANS & INDIANS TO PUNISH THE WELSH, SCOTTISH, IRISH, AND ENGLISH TOO. GEE, WE WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS AND WILL WORK TO CHANGE THIS.

[@Songs-vy7qu]

1000's of years actually fella...

[@samkhodr9975]

Ia o'n i meddwl hynna ond, os mae nhw yn son am "Modern Welsh" mae hynna ond wedi bydoli ers y 15eg Canrif en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_language#Modern_Welsh. Ofcwrs mae'r iaith Cymraeg heddiw yn llawr mwy debyg i Cymraeg Hen nac mae English yn debyg i Old English (less outside influence). Ia, dylai hynna wedi gael ei ddweud, dwi'n cytuno.

[@paulwhitney8058]

Thank you

[@paulwhitney8058]

Sori diolch yn fawr Bach.

[@bernardmolloy4463]

Fair play. Need to do the same with Irish. Éirinn go brách.

[@chopchung]

Unfortunately, as i have said on MANY Gaeilge video postings, the Irish are simply too LAZY to bother.It's so much easier to blame "the Brits". Hasn't it ALWAYS been?. Check the Series "No Bearla: S1.EP1". The Irish speaking host is made to feel like an outcast for speaking his OWN language.That's the IRISH doing it, after 100 YEARS of "freedom".

[@elizabethjanetugby4695]

And Scottish Gaelic. Slainte.

[@poluxazalee361]

Hey ! And us ... no flag , no nation . But a celtic language. Bevet ar BREZHONEG !

[@LuceeNicole]

This is all well and good. But until the Welsh history is taught the nation will remain uncaring about the language

[@simonlloyd2824]

Same thing goes for up in Scotland, too. I'm proud to be both Scottish and Welsh, and this just fuels my fire even more for keeping our identity alive and well!

[@NekoBoyOfficial]

It's not just history, the language needs to be reinforced in daily life. Signs, books, menus, ect. This is how Quebec retains French.

[@LuceeNicole]

@@NekoBoyOfficial wales already does a lot of this tbh. But the language is intrinsically connected to the history

[@bingbong2205]

Look what happened to elmet the current regime massacred the true britons

[@Inquisitor_Vex]

I had a friend’s dad complain about the Welsh place names. Saying they basically just made up Welsh names for places that always had English names. The example he gave was a town nearby called “Narberth” which was just renamed “Arberth” (basically the same pronunciation, just dropping the N) but when I started learning more about our history, I found out that “Arberth” is actually named in the tales of King Arthur, in the 1st and 2nd branches of the Mabinogion.

[@poluxazalee361]

✊✊✊🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 je n'ai pas tout compris mais je suis admiratif de votre conviction. ( In breton : buhez hir d'ar yeah kozh )

[@WDH59510]

Ce qu'elle dit peut s'appliquer à la langue bretonne aussi. Et au gaélique (je suis écossais).

[@megan89]

c'est agréable de voir les liens entre les nations celtiques. en particulier le gallois et le breton sont étroitement liés sur le plan linguistique et ils ont une histoire similaire de honte et d'application de la langue de la majorité. en tant que première langue galloise, j'espère étudier la langue bretonne à l'université l'année prochaine, je suis tellement excitée !

[@Skatamska]

I’m Dutch and trying to learn Welsh since the 1990s. I heard the album Gododdin by Test Dept and Brith Gof, it was like a spiritual experience to me, as if I had retrieved something I had lost a long time ago.

[@aidankiely9672]

As an English person learning Welsh for absolutely no purpose other than because I want to, I totally get this marvellous woman’s frustration at having to make the case for why her language matters. Not sure describing English as the oppressor language helps the cause though: whatever the history, hostility to the majority language seems unhelpful to enthusing people (who didn’t choose their mother tongue) to take up the language. I don’t feel like my Irish family are less Irish because they don’t speak Gaelic. Build bridges and that passion will achieve so much more. An outsider’s take for what it’s worth.

[@Whelknarge]

One the one hand, I get your point about trying to remain positive, but on there other, she's not wrong. The English language was forced on the Welsh, by threat of violence, social and economic ostracisation and their own language suppressed. I understand that this may be an uncomfortable fact to hear for some people, but to what extent is it those people's responsibility to ask themselves whether or not those feelings of discomfort are justifiable? Claiming the English language (and attendant culture) have oppressed Welsh is not claiming that it is current monolingual English-speakers' fault - if fact, if they are Welsh, they are in fact the victims of this cultural extermination in that they have been successfully stripped of one of the primary markers of Welshness. "I don’t feel like my Irish family are less Irish because they don’t speak Gaelic." As an Irish person who grew up monolingual in English, I do feel it makes us less Irish. What is an Irishman who speaks only English and is therefore immersed in the Anglophone cultural sphere but an Englishman living in Ireland (with a slight Irish flavour, albeit)? The language is the Petri dish within which a culture grows, thrives and lives. Irish people saying that they can be just as Irish as anyone else without knowing the language is complacency, it's a cope out to excuse why they won't learn it. I have compassion for my fellow English-speaking Irish people, so long as they recognise the importance of the language and feel the appropriate anger at having been robbed of it, and use that to progress the cause of the language, but not for those who claim it's not important either because they're too lazy to learn or because their egos can't take being told they're missing an important piece of Irishness.

[@aidankiely9672]

@@Whelknarge she’s not wrong I agree. I just don’t think that tone is very helpful to engaging people. We should learn about the history to bring Welsh and English speakers together not project past wrongs into accusations in the present. It’s a shame to focus on this without mentioning the huge revival of interest in Welsh. In a recent brief visit to Wales I used a little Welsh on 4 people who completely ignored me. Maybe there is a present problem those championing Welsh should address.

[@Whelknarge]

@@aidankiely9672 To me, there's a question of where the moral obligation lies - is it with the people stating the history to be diplomatic and consider how that history might make some people feel, or is it with the people hearing that history to interrogate their feelings of discomfort and question if they are justifiable? One the one hand, you could suggest it would be more productive to focus on a less accusatory-sounding narrative, but on the other you could say it would be more productive for people not to have an unjustified knee-jerk reaction to hearing a narrative that doesn't paint their language and culture in the greatest light. I would say that an objective telling of the narrative would sound pretty damning of the English language and culture's effects on Welsh, so I'd put the onus on those hearing it to deal with their feelings of discomfort over those telling the facts to be diplomatic. We don't suger-coat the WWII for German audiences, and Germans don't seem to make unjustifiable requests for us to be nice to them about it, they are able to handle the truth.

[@aidankiely9672]

@@Whelknarge that’s assuming that the problem is that people are unwilling to accept the history because of their sense of discomfort. I don’t think it is. I accept I’m part of a society and culture that has shameful elements in its history, and in its present reality. That’s probably true for most of us. Doesn’t inspire me to try and make up for it because it was not of my doing: I was not alive. Some people won’t interrogate their feelings of discomfort, because they would rather remain ignorant and falsely optimistic about their society. Others will, but so what? Does that discomfort move them to act differently? I’m not convinced it does. People who don’t care about this issue still won’t care about it even if they accept that the English shouldn’t have tried to suppress the language.

[@Whelknarge]

@@aidankiely9672There are a few things there: firstly, I doubt the purpose of the more condemning (and accurate) narrative is to make English people feel guilty (though that might indeed have its own benefits, depending on the position the person previously held), it's just the reality of what happened, but I could see how a sugar-coated version's purpose might be for the opposite reason, i.e. to assuage English guilt. I don't think it should engender any discomfort in anyone who doesn't hold onto some idea that the English were the good guys of history, because as you said, no one alive now was personally part of any of that, but to the extent that some people are made uncomfortable by that, they probably should be. I think that many people don't understand how or why any language exists or doesn't, and false assumptions abound: David Mitchell (an otherwise very clever man) once launched into somewhat of a tirade against (Scottish) Gaelic in a short video under the mistaken assumption that the language had died out because of something akin to natural selection and that it was a natural (and maybe even good) thing that it was dying out. Drilling it into people's heads that the extinction of Britain's indigenous languages was a deliberate (and quite successful) attempt at cultural extermination is pretty important to combating opposition to revival movements. Again, it's not that they're trying to guilt trip you so much as educate you so you can see what a tragedy it is, and maybe make people (yes, particularly English people) understand Welsh, Irish, Scottish and even Cornish sensitivity to these issues. Doesn't need to be anyone's "fault" so long as everyone agrees that it was a deliberate and regrettable erradication of non-English culture. As for encouraging people to learn with a more positive narrative, well, I agree that has it's place too, I think it might be asking a bit much of the woman to tackle every aspect of the Welsh language movement in the few minutes she had, but I agree that if it were the case that people only ever banged on about the rotten English and never focused on anything else, interest would decline. Anyway, fair play to you for learning Welsh. Da iawn ti!

[@hunterluxton5976]

She speaks the truth about English domination. Wales has always been discredited or disowned by the English.

[@therespectedlex9794]

Largely helped adopted and promoted by the English. Is it a third word country?

[@hunterluxton5976]

@@therespectedlex9794 no mate not helped, get your facts right. During the industrial revolution vast sums of natural minerals including coal tinplate, copper zinc slate and even gold was removed from Wales by the English and all the profits went over the border to your people. Try reading " Rape of the Fair country" by Alexznder Cordell you might learn something. Your boys did a very good political and economic castration of Wales. You then tell us we are shit and how much you've helped us. Welshmen fought for great Britain in a major Empire wars including recent WW1 AND 2. we died for the British cause, yet get vilified because of our different language and culture. Even your monarchy has stolen our titles, " Prince of Wales". Read up on your history, learn something rathercthsn buying in to that Anglo centric shit that your people spew out about us Welsh. There is a dark side to English colonial history that is never discussed, or explored.

[@trebleking1641]

It was far too small to resist English domination. It didn't have the population or military power to resist like the Irish and Scots.

[@manollo1767]

Even the name "Wales" meant something like "Foreigner/Outsiders".

[@mermaidmimsy]

Yma o hyd! Despite living over the border my roots are of cymru. I would like to see welsh on our English road signs because English is on the Welsh (Cymru) signs.

[@onlinemusiclessonsadamphil4677]

Scots Gaelic and Irish were also hugely discouraged and banned and now enjoying a revival

[@stevemorgs8771]

Da iawn Heledd 👏🙌🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@mrjones824]

Da iawn Heledd Gwyndaf. Neisdi siarad yn dda yn fana, chwarae teg.🙂 Mi rydym ni angen mwy fel y Chdi yng nghymru.

[@kiri101]

"Hundreds of years" - bit of an understatement there, bud xD

[@williamllwyn1258]

Cymru Rydd!

[@healthyself7941]

She's beautiful, and very earnest about asserting Welsh identity! More power to her!! Other countries that England colonized feel the same way, and are kicking English ass whenever possible.

[@chopchung]

the word is ARSE, fool, and as ENGLISH continues its ever greater dominance of the spoken word can i THANK the people who spell ARSE as ASS.You are doing AR (se?) work FOR ASS!. RULE BRITTANIA.....BABY!.

[@healthyself7941]

@@chopchung Here in the U.S. that's how we choose to spell it, and no one is going to tell us how to do it. Least of all a spent, withering, whimpering, sad little kingdom called UK. The chickens are coming home to roost. UK is getting a taste of its own medicine. Oh how the tables have turned. Foreign companies are acquiring British firms, large and small. The bubble of British arrogance and pomposity is bursting.

[@richiem9690]

Mor siomedig bod llawer o rieni ddim yn trosglwyddo'r iaith i'w plant. Mae angen dysgu pobl nad yw dwyieithrwydd yn bygwth ein bywydau a chymunedau - ond mae'n cyfoethogi'r byd yr ydym yn byw ynddo - y mwyafrif o boblogaeth y byd yn ddwyieithog, felly mae'n hollol normal!

[@samkhodr9975]

@ayodeji ogunbiyi He said: "In my opinion, one of the reasons that it's easy to forget how to speak Welsh in the Same manner as when you were in school, if you haven't spoken the language for a long time. As typing this I feel like I can't speak the language but, I was taught in the Welsh medium until I was 18 years old. I understand the language fluently but; in writing and verbally, i have completely forgotten it unfortunately because, i don't have anyone to practice on to carry the language on. That's very sad in my opinion but, that's it (C'est la vie?)." You're Welcome in advance. I am not an expert in Welsh but, i know Welsh, like him.* I put my own punctuation, as best as I could, even where he didn't put any*

[@davidvincent8929]

THE ENGLISH DOMINATED IN SIGNIFICANTLY HORRIFYING WAYS. WE ARE TOTALLY APPALLED AND SUPPORT THE WELSH. ANOTHER WAY IS USING IMMIGRATION OF AFRICANS & INDIANS TO PUNISH THE WELSH, SCOTTISH, IRISH, AND ENGLISH TOO. GEE, WE WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS AND WILL WORK TO CHANGE THIS.

[@thomasbernhardqed]

prynhawn da, draig 👋😌 🐲 please, never give up

[@IanGardiner_iow]

Mae Heledd mor dda 👏

[@owentomos2306]

Heledd was interviewed by Daniel MEIRION Walker.

[@williamwallace4924]

One of the Indigenous languish of the British isles, like Scot’s and Irish Gaelic, and Cornish, no surrender.

[@cwshtygriff13]

Fe godwn ni eto 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿💪

[@residentoftherealm]

I'm welsh, I went to school in south wales & welsh was made to be boring! What a disgrace ! We should be being immersed in our rich and deep magical culture ! It would help if we were actually being taught of the folklore and ancient texts of which there are plenty to choose from. I am not a welsh speaker which is yet another disgrace since I achieved a B at GCSE in welsh ! I was not taught to speak welsh but simply how to answer exam questions to pass. I was not raised as a proud welsh woman but have certainly become an intensely proud welsh woman & I will fight for our right to our own unique identity, culture and language ! Our right to be seen, heard and our right to keep our beautiful language alive for future generations.

[@conorsmith8551]

Haha the parallels between this and the story of how Irish is taught in Irish schools , not enough emphasis on conversation at all and more on learning off poems and texts borrrrrrring

[@conorsmith8551]

..and as you say , how to answer exam questions on it .. its just a shame that it still continues today . The way it’s taught in wales and Ireland is actually the greatest threat to its existence. Need to change curriculums and encourage it to be interesting and not boring and tedious

[@joachimjustinmorgan4851]

I came here for the Welsh, but Heledd Gwyndaf is very good looking. If Welsh keep putting out such attractive people that make their kids learn Welsh then there will definitely be an increase in the number of speakers.

[@elinhefin5662]

Cytuno'n llwyr gyda Gafr Gwyllt. Collwyd cyfle prin i rhoi dadl gref ar y cyfryngau Saesnig.

[@heddgwynfor]

Ewch amdani Elin Hefin os gallwch wneud yn well. Pob lwc a cawn weld y feirniadaeth.

[@heddgwynfor]

ON. Nid yw "Saesnig" yn air Cymraeg.

[@gileswilliams3014]

Here here!

[@darrylshamrock]

Speak the language of your fathers. Speak the language of your neighbours.

[@tonyowen8349]

Da iawn chdi Cariad 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@dorianlloyd9388]

well said,da iawn.

[@dafyddowainllewellyn259]

what is really sad in south Wales , valleys in particular is there are people who can speak Welsh, but just don't both er you have almost got to push people to speak their national language, so many people just don't want to know about learning Welsh. there is such a lack of desire, I'm serious ly considering moving up north to North Wales. Mae'n peth mor rhyfedd fod Fi'n byw yng nghymru ac mae pobl yn siarad saesneg. Os fyddan ni'n fyw mewn unrhyw wlad arall yn yr byd Fe fyddan ni'n siarad iaith yr wlad yn cyntaf, ac saesneg yn ail. Mae'n mor trist, fi'n teimlo fod rhaid I fi gwthio pobl I siarad cymraeg am rhai sy'n gallu siarad Cymraeg fel chwaer fach fi, sawl tro fi'n siarad Cymraeg gyda hi a Mae hi'n Ateb yn ol trwy gyfrwng saesneg. rydw I mynd I bod yn benderfynol pwy bynnag menyw fi'n priodi fydd rhaid iddi siarad Cymraeg gyda fi, a fydd fy mhlant yn siarad Cymraeg yr un mor fath ar iaith ei hunain. Er dweud hyn o fi'n hoffi passiwn yr menyw oedd yn siarad ond I dweud fod pobl saesneg yn immigrants yn anfoesgar ac ddim rhy helpus I pobl sy'n gael diddordeb mewn siarad Cymraeg.

[@Capybarrrraaaa]

Dwi'n byw in y Rhondda, a tra fy Cymraeg ddim yn dda iawn, dwi'n hoff iawn o defnyddio e tipyn bach gyda fy frindiau a teulu. Ond, dydw I ddim yn cael rhywin yma syn gallu siarad fel fi, a mae'n gwneud fi'n drist. Gobeithio, yn y dyfodol, bydda ni'n cael mwy o pobl syn gallu defnyddio'r iaith gyda ni. Mae'n dda am ti i trio i cadw'r iaith a diwylliant yn fyw. Dwi'n trio yma gyda ti, hefud.

[@DavidJonesy]

The de facto national language of Wales is English

[@poluxazalee361]

Je suis vraiment très touché par votre témoignage et à l'amour que vous portez à votre langue . Dim Dioch mawr !

[@rogerdavid3297]

my own grandfather and his brothers and sisters had to wear the welsh not label,they where born in 1879 etc.teacher was english.

[@TheWild90]

This lady is spicy in a good way.

[@AllIsWellaus]

The Welsh language have been speaking the language for longer than he states. The Welsh people have and are still fighting for the language no different than the New Zealand Māori. Why are so many English people so ignorant even now. Its not funny taking the pics out our heritage.

[@wesleymorris-laviolette1543]

So much of this applies to le Canada (français)!

[@ocomaing]

Hundreds of years?

[@bruceemlyn8336]

We will lose the battle but always,always win the war!

[@binghamguevara6814]

2:32 She said monoglot. that's a word I remember once seeing in the dictionary. Never heard anyone say it before.

[@roddersfiftynine]

You can use welsh to translate egyptian hieroglyphics ! Check out Wilson & Blackett - if you dare !!

[@blairmackenzie898]

I don’t think they can keep up with how fast she’s speaking lol. I found out recently I’m of Welsh decent. It’s hilarious because I start to speak just like her when I’m passionate out things (though I’m also passionate about most things I speak about lol). It’s hard for people to keep up. They should just do better lol

[@tylerdurden1734]

If anyone wants to help me learn welsh give me a comment :)

[@chopchung]

I wanted to get my tongue around some welsh but Ken Owens was on tour in New Zealand!!!!. y'all know what i mean!.

[@RustyShackleford-]

She’s gorgeous. And she’s right.

[@grywilliams8976]

Wasn't Cymreag once Brythonic; maybe we should all adopt this language as a former resident of Elmet who now lives in Cymru. Don't care much for her use of certain word though in her statement though!!

[@rustymason3860]

If the Welsh thought they were colonized in 2017, just wait until 2022!

[@10hourslooney25]

It will decline further and further, as it has. It all began in 1536!

[@goodlookinouthomie1757]

Are you going to do a feature on places in England where the de-facto language has become Urdu?

[@56independent42]

And what are these places?

[@goodlookinouthomie1757]

@@56independent42 I don't suppose you live near Birmingham?

[@56independent42]

​@@goodlookinouthomie1757 No. But still, English was brought in by anglo-saxons who immigrated to the country. So why can't Urdu be brought in? If you object to that, then logically you should be speaking the original language; a celtic one.

[@goodlookinouthomie1757]

@@56independent42 Spoken like a true colonialist.

[@56independent42]

@@goodlookinouthomie1757 No...? Welsh was the native language of Wales before the anglo-saxons invaded, Speak Welsh or you're supporting immigrants bringing their language.

[@RRTNZ]

Mae hi'n gwallgof, gwnaeth hi ddim yn blincio. Ein iaith yn bwysig iawn, ond rhaid i ni bod yn "realistic" , bydd yr iaith yn tyfu gyda amser - ond 80% o pobl Cymreig ddim yn siarad Cymraeg, rhaid i ni newid y situation yn araf.

[@purpleaki933]

Medda'r un sy' methu trieglo

[@RRTNZ]

@@purpleaki933 ti'n troll yn dda iawn, gobeithio bod mae hi'n oer o dan dy bont di.

[@purpleaki933]

@@RRTNZ surely this is a joke 😂 what a dumbass

[@RRTNZ]

@@purpleaki933 rhaid bod joc yn doniol. Wyt ti'n angen fwy ymarfer gyda jociau, pob lwc.

[@purpleaki933]

@@RRTNZ your grammar is atrocious. No offence

[@extanegautham8950]

hundred of years??? are you havin a laugh....long before the angle and saxons came over on boats let alone Billy the Conqueror from Normandy spoke the welsh welsh or some protowelsh ...

[@michaelgriesel6585]

Welsh is fuckin awesome!!!!

[@purpleaki933]

Meical ffwcia o ma

[@evilcommunistpicklerick3175]

Diolch yn fawr iawn!!!

[@southcobbviper]

Five guys! What are you talking bout!

[@TheRealist2022]

If what she says is true, that we English tried to purposefully eradicate the Welsh language, I am appalled. It's a great nation with great people and if i had had a voice, I'd have come down on the Welsh side.

[@extanegautham8950]

sombody forgot to tell that women to breathe!

[@centauri5680]

That’s my friends mum 🤣

[@ljones3007]

She is lovely and brilliant.

[@paulwhitney8058]

MAM may be more fitting for her. Mum maybe ok in england.

[@Mike-dk7wj]

What took the devolved Welsh government so long to get around to this?

[@56independent42]

English corrpution

[@davidpearn2484]

Because they are Welsh doh.

[@timcerdded8565]

Wych

[@yetigriff]

Yma o Hyd

[@chopchung]

Don't you welsh have some great fable or something, the Mabinogian or some such?. Has no one at HTV Wales or BBC Cymru ever got off their arse to make programmes about this.Always thaught that such tales plus the Welsh language might interest some Peter Jackson like character to explore Welsh Culture but it seems no one can be bothered. Wait, isn't such an attitude PART of Welsh culture.... seems so!.

[@chapman9230]

We do indeed. You may be interested to watch a film “Otherworld” available on youtube which is based on part of the tales of the mabinogi. There have been a number of programs over the years. In fact, S4C do have some great tv programmes often with subtitles available on BBCI playerGreat detective dramas so much so a term Celtic Noir has been coined.

[@neilog747]

" Hundreds of Years", said the amiable English twit, inescapably confirming he was not hired on the basis of having reasearch skills or that thing we call curiosity.

[@paperflowers-ks6vv]

And he has a Welsh Mam too! For shame!

[@phil2003ashleigh]

Wear in durr in a bear back sack and lack in durr bore burr.

[@barnbersonol]

Pan ganran o blant o gefndir di-gymraeg sy'n cael eu cymreigeiddio'n llwyddianus trwy fynd yagolion Cymraeg? 1% os ti'n lwcus. Mae fy merch fy hun, 24 oed, yn dal i fynd allan gyda bachgen cwrddodd hi a yng Ngarth Olwg a dyn nhw BYTH yn siarad Cymraeg a'i gilydd.

[@LouisaReacts]

Dwi bach yn hwyr yn ateb hyn, ond dwi'n dod o deulu di-Gymraeg, a symudais i Gymru pan o'n i'n saith oed. Saesneg oedd yr iaith yn y tŷ, ond addysg hollol ddwyieithog ges i, a dwi'n defnyddio'r Gymraeg cyn gymaint a fedrai. Mae'i wedi helpu gyda ieithoedd eraill (ond pan dwi'n trio siarad y ieithoedd yna, mae geiriau Cymraeg yn dod allan a dwi'n drysu pawb! 😂)

[@barnbersonol]

@@LouisaReacts ie da iawn ti! Cofia mae Cymraeg ambell waith yn handi gyda ieithoedd eraill. Yn Catalan mae dyddiau'r wythnos bron yr un peth.

[@frankkelleher1888]

The English have a lot to answer for the same thing happened in Ireland but thankfully its been revived

[@beaglaoich4418]

Éirinn go brách 🇮🇪

[@purpleaki933]

Cau o

[@beaglaoich4418]

@@purpleaki933 cád?

[@purpleaki933]

@@beaglaoich4418 ffycar

[@beaglaoich4418]

@@purpleaki933 cad a ndúirt leat?

[@chopchung]

1:43.."The language of the oppressor". I LOVE her passion but this victimhood helps no one.LEARN Welsh, LEARN Gaelic, The Englishman set you free CENTURIES ago...REALISE that!. You are FREE to speak as you will.I really DO like the FIRE in this ladies talk but i hope her passion and love for her people doesn't let her fall into the old English hating trap.That NEVER does anyone any favours.

[@mlvendetta8330]

She’s not wrong tho England have been the oppressors for centuries. It’s Englands fault that the Celtic languages declined as people weren’t free to speak their language.

[@Capybarrrraaaa]

How do you address systemic oppression without pointing to a victim? I don't understand why this is always a point brought-up about race-related issues, no matter who it's about. It's not untrue that Welsh culture is the victim of cultural-genocide. It's not untrue that the UK, which is supposed to be a representitive and co-beneficial union, still refuses to help recover what they stole. This isn't about 'English hating', it's about pointing to the English establishment that's causing the issues and, like she said, making domestic changes where we can to do our part. She made a point of that with how powers of education were devolved and in our hands.

[@chopchung]

@@mlvendetta8330 they ARE FREE NOW and have been for CENTURIES!!. If the oppressor bombs your house and destroys it you REBUILD it when the war is over. The war has been OVER FOR YEARS!!. WELSH....LEARN WELSH!. What's STOPPING you?. Laziness, pizza, Netflix......AMERICANA?.

[@chopchung]

@@Capybarrrraaaa The Welsh can "do our part" by doing the BASIC of BASICS, every man woman and "Plentyn" (apparently!).LEARN WELSH!.

[@Capybarrrraaaa]

@@chopchung Ie, a ni'n gallu gwneud hon tra ni'n archwilio ein hanes a triniaeth.

[@13strange67]

Typical English Cretin ( the Welsh tongue has been spoken for thousands of years : before English )

[@Samh-xi7sl]

Is this Robin Gwyndaf’s daughter? Da yaun!

[@cymro6537]

No.

[@pc2753]

That was the British establishment. There has never been an English establishment

[@cymro6537]

British=English

[@pc2753]

@@cymro6537 Being British really only started under James I - who was not English

[@cymro6537]

@@pc2753 The terms British, Britain, and Briton have changed radically over the centuries. Originally,a Briton was once someone who spoke the now extinct Brythonic language - this evolved eventually into the Welsh language ; of which - with an irony that was doubtless lost on them , the invading Germanic Anglo-Saxon referred to the native inhabitants of Britain as _Wealas_ 'foreigners'. The term 'Britain' (used in the present interpretation)was coined centuries later with the union of Scotland and England (Wales had previously been annexed) .After this Union , Britain was increasingly referred to as 'England' - but by the English themselves -not the Scots or the Welsh. This delusion manifested itself quite clearly with England's victory over West Germany in the '66 world cup. To a man ,all the English fans were waving the Union banner - oblivious and ignorant as to the banner of St George - even England's official mascot a lion called 'World cup Willv' was wearing a union flag top ! By 1982,the British=English prevailed ,if one looks at the lyrics of England's squad world cup squad song 'This time(we'll get it right) it had the following opening lyrics: We're on our way We are Ron's twenty two Hear the roar Of the *red* , *white* and *blue* A reference of course to the Union banner, England is in a state of flux and is currently redefining itself (rediscovering the St George's flag as one example) in the wake of the resurgence of Welsh -and in particular, Scottish identity.

[@pc2753]

@@cymro6537 I know. Get off the screen and go to bed.

[@cymro6537]

@@pc2753 🤣

[@nevillemason6791]

All this talk of being immersed in Welsh culture at school and taught the language is all well and good but (this might seem like heresy) there's so much else that need teaching in the curriculum which may have a higher priority in the timetable. Where's the time to come from? Unfortunately, Welsh will only ever be useful to you in a career in Wales and nowhere else. A hard fact of life (and possibly ignored by some Welsh speakers). I sometimes think people pay lip service to the Welsh language because 'it's the right thing to do' and then ignore it. How many truly try to watch S4C on tv for instance (without the English subtitles)?

[@quitspogo9027]

You're talking nonsense, Mason. Many people in Cymru watch S4C, otherwise they wouldn't be able to justify putting it on air! As Heledd said, we should not have to validate or 'rationalise' our desire to speak our own language in our own country - our language that was almost taken from us via cultural genocide. This talk of ''usefulness' is absolute claptrap. It's OUR language! It's not about job prospects, it's about culture. As for your point about fitting everything in the curriculum, maybe if we spent less time being forced to learn german, french, or spanish at school we could fit the 'so much else' you are speaking of.

[@RobertTheDodger654]

Heledd looks younger than she really is!

[@destinationunknown4959]

Cymru am byth! Sgwrch yn gymraeg yn ddechra

[@mlvendetta8330]

Mae’r cyfarfod yma yn Lloeger dwi’n credi felly mae’n neud mwy synwyr fan hyn i siarad saesneg

[@TheVicar]

Welsh is a regional hobby language

[@anthonydavid5121]

This woman isn't Welsh. She's obviously Italian. Her hands never stopped speaking for even a second! I agree with her fully, but, the history of Wales must also be taught along side the langauge in order for a connection to be made to the land. Language can't live as an isolate, there has to be connections to the place, it's history, it's people, its desires and its future. Take Israel nation as an example!

[@cipherx6334]

I suggest we introduce an 'English not' into Welsh schools. In this instance, punishment should be that parents are fined, and the children given extra homework for speaking English. Awgrymaf ein bod yn cyflwyno 'Saesneg nid' i ysgolion Cymru. Yn yr achos hwn, dylid cosbi rhieni yn cael eu dirwyo, a rhoi gwaith cartref ychwanegol i'r plant am siarad Saesneg.

[@admiralbenbow5083]

I know why Welsh is fading as a language. Nobody can get a word in edgeways !!

[@marksadventures3889]

I'm learning Cymraig now - due to my interest in original language of the lands of the Britons. Not sure that seeing Wales becoming the Socialist Republic of Wales is helpful at all. But as far the Welsh language is concerned I think it should be taught from birth.

[@DoctorCymraeg]

Embaras llwyr

[@purpleaki933]

Sud

[@therecalcitrantseditionist3613]

I love the idea of spreading and bringing back a language, but the idea of mandating and forcing a language onto people is more or less the same thing she is upset at the english for doing.

[@Sidecontrol1234]

Exactly.

[@zay-ju8fb]

not really, would you say that about forcing French language in France, or English language classes in England? In Wales the language is Welsh so that's what should be taught first

[@therecalcitrantseditionist3613]

@@zay-ju8fb if 95% of the population didnt speak it, and it had no relevance outside its native country, yes i would. people learning it is great, making people do it is not.

[@zay-ju8fb]

@@therecalcitrantseditionist3613 it's good to keep the traditional language of the area. Learning English as well is practical, which is already what happens. Welsh and English is taught. I believe Welsh should be taught better than it is at the moment though it's important culturally

[@derekhollingsworth1704]

@@therecalcitrantseditionist3613 By your measure of utility most languages would not be considered useful. But that doesn't encompass identity and culture. In Sweden many people speak English, but the Swedish culture is transmitted in Swedish. In Wales, for almost all of its history, Welsh has been dominant and carrier of the native culture. That makes it the key to accessing Welsh culture in a way that English can never be.

[@wilowen8450]

she has no idea what she's on about

[@mlvendetta8330]

Why do you think that ?

[@cylt5113]

The scary thing is that this woman is bringing up her children with her own anti-English attitudes - if you've seen any of her other videos. She seems quite nervous. Is there actually a difference between "safonau" and standards? Are they special in some way?

[@nolongerlistless]

What is scary about being “anti-oppression”? When the English language and a majority of its speakers are no longer harbouring oppressive tendencies & attitudes, when the monoglot anglophones no longer indulge in oppressive behaviour, she & others around the globe will no longer need to be in any sense “anti-English”! Please grow up, @cylt!

[@llwyde1104]

I think Cylt mis-spelled his own name...;-)

[@Iazzaboyce]

English should be the language of the UK, we should ban other language in schools and on TV, just like the Ukraine government did to the millions of Russian speakers in Ukraine.

[@56independent42]

Why? English is the language of the UK already. Banning other languages will only provoke extreme nationalism and possibly bring in facism. This is not good. People should learn more then one language. Otherwise the world enters another war.

[@Iazzaboyce]

@@56independent42 If we forced people to learn English in school and only had English on TV and only gave jobs to people who spoke English then everyone would soon learn English. If places like Wales or Scotland or Northern Ireland held referendums we could say referendums are only legal if all the UK votes including England. If they get violent we can shell them and ask USA and EU countries for free missiles.

[@56independent42]

@@Iazzaboyce And then your country's "Expats" go to foreign countries and refuse to learn the language. Sort that out first.

[@Smithytrg82]

This is just stupid, genuinely stupid.Stunt the entire economic and educational development of a country for a language that has novelty and heritage value at best? Just blinkered, shortsighted politics.

[@Smithytrg82]

Geraint Thomas you’re emphasising my point- by saying the language is a tourist attraction (which id additionally dispute) you’re reinforcing that it in fact has only novelty and heritage value. That aside, I’m not anti it’s promotion, what I am anti is the fanatical pursuit of it against Wales’ international standing as anything but a tourist attraction, educational prospects and the isolation of its developing generation. As I said, shortsighted politics.

[@Smithytrg82]

Geraint Thomas 🤣 born here and schooled here, my grasp of useful modern languages enabled me to access education outside these borders.

[@Smithytrg82]

Geraint Thomas you’re clutching at straws and casting aspersions, you’ve got absolutely nothing to back your case. If I referred to ‘useful modern languages’ in a conversation about Latin I doubt you’d be so quick to suggest prejudice. French, German, Spanish, Chinese- useful languages, ‘modern’ languages spoken outside of these borders and small Patagonian villages which enable welsh people to compete on an international stage. It’ll likely not affect you, in your shed, in Pembrokeshire.

[@Smithytrg82]

Geraint Thomas no, just bored of your senseless rhetoric- you justify isolating wales from the world with talk of cultural acceptance. Bra.....vo. Dive into welsh middle school stats if you like but the welsh baccalaureate has additionally disadvantaged its pupils when reaching out to high performing universities - the failure and withdrawal rates reflect it absolutely.

[@Smithytrg82]

Geraint Thomas buying thinking time or just run out of ideas? I’ll leave you to it, good luck in the shire.