Meredydd Evans: The Power of the Welsh Language and Cultural Identity

Meredydd Evans, Professor of Philosophy, writer, and performer has long been an advocate for the Welsh language. In this 2008 interview, he discusses how language is an inseparable part of cultural identity.
[Catalog No. CFV10514; Copyright 2013 Smithsonian Institution]

[@TomorrowWeLive]

'It's not that your culture is better than anyone else's. It just happens to be yours.' Perfect--couldn't have put it better myself.

[@kevinjenkins6657]

Welsh culture is better than English culture, witnessed the two myself, and it's just a fact the Welsh way of life is better.

[@alicemi4155]

"You make sense of your life in the terms of your language / cultural identity". What a wise man! Thank you for your video

[@freeeeeeedomnorulers4803]

wise Welshmen respect to you boyo from australia

[@alexandrhoda]

such wise words ... a prayer for all the languages of the world .. the mighty and the meek

[@syanturioevans9952]

Welsh wisdom.. it's unique.. not because we are better... because it's ours.. ;)

[@MathewChild]

Yes, its very much still spoken as an everyday language :)

[@eifionjones559]

well I do

[@maldito_sudaka]

Welsh language and folk music are a gift to humanity

[@JohnPanto]

I did my driving test in Welsh. I will do all the official forms in Welsh but my greatest test was trying to register my mother's death in Welsh. In Llandudno to a lady who came from Blaenau Ffestiniog where I am living. It nearly came to blows! It was my bother in law that restrained me. She insisted that it had to be in English but I managed to persuade her & this was only 25 years ago. Every day is STILL a struggle as shown this week with LIDL's in Porthmadog

[@materdeimusicd.buckley2974]

I sympathize. Death of a loved one is hard enough, without having to fight for the right to speak your native language. Officials can be difficult, though not always the individual concerned is at fault. Here in Republic of Ireland where Gaeilge is officially our first language, we face similar situations. I remember when teaching in a Gaelcholaiste, ringing the dept of education and asking for an roinn ceol ( music dept) . They put me through to the canteen. The next time I had to wait 20 minutes before they got someone who could speak Gaeilge. We called it an roinn oidochas ( hopeless) instead of an roinn oideachas. (Education)

[@Inquisitor_Vex]

What happened at Lidl Porthmadog?

[@ethanlewis1132]

this is lovely. I'm ethnically Welsh and living in the United States. I would LOVE to learn Welsh

[@ThePumpingiron27]

Ethan Lewis Hey me too!! I am pretty Welsh and Irish, with a few others mixed in. I am actually learning Welsh. It's pretty fun!

[@EllisRobbo]

Dysga heddiw, a gwen ddaw i dy wyneb / learn today and a smile will appear on your face. 👍😀

[@gaynormainwaring1853]

Go for it!

[@MrIanhsm]

Crack on then. Duo Lingo and Saysomethinginwelsh are both excellent apps. I’m 70 days into the first and two weeks into the second and feel like I am going to crack it this time.

[@TheBrotherOfPeter]

Same!!!

[@johnkelly3549]

I’m Irish and find a lot of comparisons between Wales and Ireland when it comes to language, influences and culture. Ireland needed/needs a Meredydd Evans to keep the lamp lit.

[@tombartram7384]

Welsh and Irish are like French and Polish. They have very few similarities.

[@johnkelly3549]

@@tombartram7384 culturally speaking I disagree and would say there’s a big overlap. A working class, laborious happy nation with a common enemy. The languages sound different but the pride and social coding behind them seems fairly similar. Keen rugby players too.

[@tombartram7384]

@@johnkelly3549 Welsh is increasingly the language of well educated middle class and it's politically fashionable. The average bloke and blokette in places like Cardiff has zero interest whatsoever. In fact, they're likely to roll their eyes in irritation if they hear it spoken in a pub by a "clever dick" like me, because I'm obviously only doing it to make everyone else feel guilty. England is only a light hearted pantomime "enemy" in six nations etc. I knew a boy called Mick Mc Goldrick from Co Louth who was a keen Irish speaker and he said the situation with Irish is exactly like i described with Welsh but the langs themselves are like chalk and cheese.

[@yddraigoch]

@@tombartram7384 siarad y Gymraeg bob dydd 'ma ger Abertawe ;-)

[@briton3851]

@@tombartram7384 its because gaelic and cyrmu have splintered from the original celtic tongue, scottish gaelic is far more similar to Irish than to welsh because of the heritage of the language

[@syanturioevans9952]

and to celebrate the incredible diversity of this wonderful pot of cultures is what it's all about.! Wise words indeed.

[@Sittingonacushion]

What a pity this was filmed on a wet day. Wales is so beautiful in the sunshine....

[@awaytolearn1770]

So beautifully said...

[@timphillips9954]

What a great man.

[@kennethfrawley]

Beyond wise!

[@fabrizio-evans]

LOVED IT!

[@Happy_HIbiscus]

dude, this is cool

[@nwdls]

Diolch Merêd.

[@serviustullus7204]

Welsh grew up in situ at the dawn of the Bronze Age (2100 bce). It spread from the Irish Sea to the rest of Europe. Welsh was the language of all Britain, once.

[@harlech52]

the music is played too loudly in the editing. It interferes with what he has to say. Far better when there is no music.

[@jasonivancontreras9340]

Is the welsh language still used as an everyday language?

[@TheChildFreak]

Ivan Contreras yes it's taught in primary and secondary school and every sign in Wales has Welsh and English translations

[@DieFlabbergast]

Yes, but only about 20 percent of the Welsh population can speak it.

[@andrewphillips3973]

DieFlabbergast Its increasing all the time, all of my children have come through school via the medium of welsh whilst I and many other parents are predominantly Saesneg(English) speakers. It is very much a growing language once again and many of the schools opened in the last 10-15yrs in Wales are Welsh medium or at least bi-lingual.

[@johnjohansson6277]

It is spoken as the main language in loads of parts of both and West wales

[@robinanna5531]

IAWN!

[@JonnyValleyBoy]

Cwsg mewn Hedd Meredydd... #arwrcymraeg

[@3tangle3]

+JonnyValleyBoy cytuno....newyddion trist iawn. colled mawr

[@mariavon22]

'pressure which threaten your very existence'? One can still exist irrespective of one's language surely?

[@fodz9040]

mariavon22. As a Welsh speaker, our culture is intertwined with the Language, some identity exists outside the language but the power of the language is incomprehensible

[@DieFlabbergast]

You realise that statements like that are an insult to all those Welsh people who cannot speak Cymraeg? Are they less "Welsh" because they speak only English? What if they like rugby, support the Welsh national teams in all sports, listen to Welsh male-voice choirs, like typical Welsh foods and beers, etc., etc., but happen to speak only English? I think that, apart from discriminating against non-Welsh-speakers, by greatly overestimating the importance of language generally (what applies to Welsh must ipso facto apply to all languages, surely) you also insult the Scots and the Irish! The percentage of Scots and Irish people who can and/or do speak their native languages is minuscule, and has been so for a very long time, yet their cultures are, in fact, more different from that of England and more distinctly "Celtic" than is the case for the Welsh! If all people in Britain were forcibly brainwashed and turned into speakers of Mandarin or Swahili, it's my guess that their cultures would nonetheless remain distinctly English, Welsh, Scottish, and Irish.

[@andrewphillips3973]

DieFlabbergast Thats an overreaction from where i see things. as someone who grew up speaking english I agree that i feel just as Welsh as any other despite even now being less than fluent in my home language. However, I am massively proud of my country, culture and especially Cymraeg and this pride has resulted in my children being raised as Welsh speakers. Our language is central to our culture and even non welsh speaking Welsh men and women are I'd guess regretful of the fact that they were born before the revival really started and are mostly jealous of the younger welsh speaking generation.

[@johnjohansson6277]

Spot the Englishman

[@timphillips9954]

@@DieFlabbergast There was insult intended or given to English speakers. As an English speaking Welshman I feel insulted by the way you describe your own people and culture. For what ever reason Wales has more than her share of people like you.

[@deborahstevens9587]

Music annoying.