What I Wish I Knew Beginning Welsh - tips!

Welsh, like any other language, is filled with cultural references and social aspects which you will not expect if you are coming from another country, be it England or any other country in the world.
Here are 7 tips - or things I wish I knew - when I set out on this journey, now fluent in Cymraeg (Welsh). These may help you - I hope - to avoid pitfalls and icebergs culturally, but also linguistically as well. Wales may be a small country, but its depth and layers of culture equal nations many times its size and there are things you need to be aware of when getting into Welsh and Wales.
Become a Patreon here: www.patreon.com/BenLlywelyn?f...
00:00 Beginning
00:20 Chapter 1 North and South
05:22 Chapter 2 English Attitudes
08:30 Chapter 3 Welsh Attitudes
10:30 Chapter 4 Wenglish
17:01 Chapter 5 Yes and No
18:04 Chapter 6 Latin in Welsh
20:02 Chapter 7 Masculine and Feminine
A Welsh Phrasebook: amzn.to/3ygxKk5
Learn Welsh from Beginner's to Intermediate: amzn.to/3NgaqHA
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Gear I use:
Osmo Pocket 2 (but here is the newer version): amzn.to/3OgsbYo
Rode Audio: (I use type 1, this is next model): amzn.to/3nib24A
Canon2000D: amzn.to/3ndGZep

[@CarlsLingoKingdom]

Cymraeg: We have 25 ways to say "yes" and "no!" How do you do it, Scotland? Gàidhlig: Uh...we have 0 ways. We just say "is" and "is not." 🤣

[@BenLlywelyn]

This is amusing.

[@MrAllmightyCornholioz]

That’s because Gaels love Shakespeare.

[@taunonhumppakarajat3854]

Finnish: we too have lots of ways to say ”yes” and ”no”. One of the (spoken) ways of saying ”yes” is ”ois”, which sounds like the Welsh ”oes” and is even derived from the same verb.

[@eAcetaldehyd]

25? And the rest. In theory, each verb could be responded to with a form based on that verb; e.g. "A redaist ti i'r siop?" "Rhedais/Na Redais." Which would give you as many ways as there are verbs.

[@barnbersonol]

@@eAcetaldehyd ond ma pawb un dweud do neu naddo

[@dafyddrees2287]

9:10 - Growing up Welsh speaking in some parts of Wales is like growing up being a foreigner in your own country. Welsh is often (at least in a lot of the South) something that you speak with family and with childhood friends. It's sad that native speakers would do this but we often treat Welsh the way Indian imigrant families in London might speak an Indian language at home and English outside the front door. Several times I've overheard old ladies having a quiet, personal coversation in a post office or a shop about how terrible some woman's dress is or how they wouldn't wear something like that. It's too easy to fool ourselves into thinking it's a secret code. In one book I remember the author describing not being friendly with somebody as having "not had much Welsh between us": "Roedd 'na fawr o Gymraeg rhyngddo ni." In my experience of growing up Welsh was pretty much contrained to little pockets of Welshness: Welsh language school, the chapel, and the eisteddfod. It was strange visiting Aberystwyth University as an adult and experiencing an environment where it feels normal (not forced or artificial) for Welsh to be the normal first language. It's good that train announcements are now in Welsh - because it's normalsing the use of it especially for something everyday and practical.

[@BenLlywelyn]

We need to roll up our llewys (sleeves) and get to the work of normalising Cymraeg across our country. We can do it.

[@hedydd2]

I used to travel all over Wales for work and although there are English speaking parts, Welsh is surprisingly widespread, from Cardiff, the Valleys and West from there. There’s an English enclave ‘down below’ in Pembrokeshire and up the middle East, around Breckon, but otherwise Welsh is abundant. Many English retirees and holiday homes do present ‘problems’ and not just in terms of the language.

[@michaelhalsall5684]

Sadly all the Celtic languages are belitted in the own lands. In France the Breton language receives little or no help from the French government. In Northern Ireland there is still a debate about the teaching Gaelige in schools and Scotland there were complaints about bilingual road signs. Regarding the English language in some parts of Europe it's considered cool to be able to speak (American) English, so I wonder if this has had an effect on younger Welsh speakers.

[@BenLlywelyn]

The situation with Breton and France is dire.

[@thegreenmage6956]

The problem with Scotland is that much of Scotland never spoke Gaelic, the lowlands (where most of the people are) spoke the British language or something related to Welsh until they voluntarily chose to switch to the language of traders to the south, in the Middle English period. This is why Scots English has differences to Modern English which aren't necessarily down to Celtic elements.

[@realitywins9020]

@@thegreenmage6956 that's not true. Scotland was created by Gaelic speakers as a Gaelic speaking state. The only parts of Scotland which weren't Gaelic speaking were the Borders and the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland. Rabbie Burns had Gaelic speaking relatives in Ayrshire! People in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Galloway, etc spoke Gaelic until switching to Scots (known as Inglis at the time)

[@kevingriffin1376]

@@realitywins9020 If thegreenmage6956 is referring to the historical era, I guess it's debatable whether or not there was never a time when Scotland was completely Gaelic speaking during the Middle Ages. For pre-history we have enough circumstantial evidence to now say it's likely all of Britain was speaking the language that we now call Gaelic before the British (now Welsh), then Romans, then Anglo-Saxons, etc., migrated to Britain.

[@miguelamartinez7147]

Hello! I think, Scottish, Irish, Welsh and Man Island Gaelic, Must keep living!!! Is Your identity!!! And let me tell you something "Real" English... Is not a British language😮 And Please, Do not Get angry😢 That language "Named English" Have 29% of Latín words! Another 29% of French words! Another 26% of Germánic Words!!! And 10% of Greek Words!!! And 4% of Spanish Words!!! And Only 2% of British words!!! 😮 So, You talk foreigner words daily!!! But is not a "Pure British Language" Isn't strange? So, that's why You must keep alive 😮 Welsh, Irish, Scottish, Man Gaelic, Because Your Languages are... "Pure Languages" 😮 Think about it!!!

[@garthhunt7238]

There is BBC Newyddion and other Welsh language programs that a standard Welsh.

[@BenLlywelyn]

It is improving.

[@Fbdagm2011]

First, the north south thing was SPOT ON. I moved to Machynlleth in north Powys a year ago. You hear north south and wenglish all over the place. The only way to survive is to realise that is all just welsh, and it’s not much worse than north v south English and the same as Scottish English v English English. Too many learners books play up the difference, which exists, but is not as bad as you think when you start out.

[@taunonhumppakarajat3854]

Regarding your suggestion for Standard Welsh, this is what was done for Finnish in the 19th century to keep the dialects from drifting further apart and to have a single standard of the language. The result, Standard Finnish (kirjakieli, 'book language'), is a purposefully created mishmash of different dialects, and the result was equally alien and equally familiar to all. While Standard Finnish did succeed in halting the divergence of the dialects, it did not replace them but became a formal register. You can hear and read Standard Finnish in the news and in many official circumstances, but in casual everyday interaction, the people use the spoken variety of Finnish, which differs from Standard Finnish quite a lot. As a result, language learning materials (at least the sensible ones) teach learners of Finnish both the formal Standard Finnish and the casual Spoken Finnish. Perhaps having a Standard Welsh would prevent people from switching into English in official situations, like you described?

[@BenLlywelyn]

A fascinating comparison worthy of a video someday. And to answer your question, I think it would help prevent some English interjection. But the political situation of Welsh is very complicated also.

[@Fbdagm2011]

Thank you so much for such a thoughtful and respectful video! Your mindful approach is relaxing for a topic that can often generate heat and tension. Got a few things to say so im gonna break them up to make them easier to read..

[@dafyddrees2287]

4:01 In the south we use “cleren” for a housefly but also “pryfyn” generally for any little insect.

[@BenLlywelyn]

relevent ans fascinatinf. Diolch.

[@CuDoesThings]

As a native Yiddish speaker I completely understand your frustration with not having a standard language 💀 (for context we used to, but that made almost everyone angry and so now the old standard language is just another dialect, and we've ended up with 3 different spellings of the language's own name)

[@BenLlywelyn]

אדאנק This is fascinating and a video on Yiddish would be a good one.

[@thegreenmage6956]

Yep. That's what happens - but at least you have Rabi, the Druids are gone.

[@PippyPets]

Great insights! I’ve noticed that myself about Wenglish - makes things challenge as a Welsh language learner.

[@BenLlywelyn]

Diolch yn fawr!

[@SaintHound74]

Your description of masculine and feminine nouns as generally concrete or abstract is definitely a quality-of-life-level learning for me. Thank you!

[@BenLlywelyn]

Glad this concept helps you learn. Ive done my job then! Diolch

[@MP-hz6iz]

Found your video on gender in Welsh really useful before, so good to have another quick primer! I personally love the different accents and dialects, and I think I was far too concerned about this when I started because most of the differences as you say are not huge, unless you're always having conversations about gates, insects or farm equipment. I've found that listening to enough Welsh language TV/radio has quickly got me used to hearing many of the most common dialectical differences.

[@BenLlywelyn]

Yes, I must say that dialects are overstressed and with only a little practice they are easily overcome and it is all completely the same, wonderful language.

[@tedi1932]

I absolutely hate the way some Welsh speakers will not just put English words, but often complete sentences into conversations! You have to remember though, in the past, Welsh did not have equal status with English and could not be used in official situations and I think that this will explain why many people replace many of the long official words and words not used in everyday speach with English words.

[@BenLlywelyn]

Yes it is so. Centuries of 'bri' (prestige).

[@serviustullus7204]

At, dog, glass, pool, well, etc are Welsh words in English - and there are many others.

[@BenLlywelyn]

Tad

[@Fbdagm2011]

Fourth; wenglish. You’re spot on here. No big Welsh words in wenglish. No cydweithedriad (co-operation), nor damcanisethau (theoris). Also, the way they drop in and out of Welsh / English is amazing, midway through a sentence English words drop in and out at random. It’s amzsing to hear.

[@margedtrumper9325]

It's call a translingualism, it is typical also in post colonial countries for example

[@VIEW-ut3bu]

A bit Daunting, but ultimately unifying in the fight for substantial and fundamental language processing...lending to a more complete expression of experience in communications. This segment is powerful and thank you immensely Ben.

[@BenLlywelyn]

Croeso - You are welcome.

[@jameshumphreys9715]

How you put masculine and feminine is a great way to learn and remember. The KZbinr Rob from Rob Word had a trick how to know what the English word just by using the French word, and same can be done in Welsh, if you know mutations, and what letters responds to what sounds like Lefel Deg Dwy if you know old English.

[@BenLlywelyn]

Excellent James. Glad I can help.

[@brianroberts5048]

Very interesting and intuitive. I have family who emigrated to Nebraska and help support the Welsh Heritage Centre in Wymore, Gage County. I did my MA dissertation on the provision of public services to language minorities using the Welsh Language Act as an example

[@BenLlywelyn]

Thank you. My Gram'ma came from Nebraska.

[@brianroberts5048]

@@BenLlywelyn wow! Have you seen the You Tube video Pobl y Plaith produced by the Welsh Heritage Centre in Nebraska? It features my cousin Janey and photos of my great grandmother's two brothers who emigrated to Nebraska from Bangor in North Wales. As one of the generation who "lost their Welsh" due to migration etc you have inspired me to regain my language heritage. Thank you.

[@BenLlywelyn]

@@brianroberts5048 Ive not seen it. But diolch yn fawr, I appreciate it. Glad I could help you reconnect with your roots.

[@TheGwes]

Thoroughly enjoyed your video! I was born in Wales but moved to Northern England at 7 and lost the language. Started learning recently at 30. Although I am struggling to find people to practice with in person.

[@BenLlywelyn]

Thank you. Welsh, like any language, is more difficult without living in a group speaking it, but keep at it and you will flourish.

[@michaelhalsall5684]

Even wthin the English speaking world people can be ridiculed for speaking with regional accents and using local slang words. Have you noticed how Hollywood uses Southern US accents to identify people as bad guys or simpletons? People from the north of England are often ridiculed by Londoners because of the provincial accents too.

[@BenLlywelyn]

Asna Texan originally it is tiresome that villains are so often southerners.

[@IosuamacaMhadaidh]

West country English is another one that gets made fun of. EDIT: just learned American English is heavily influenced by western England, as well as scots-Irish.

[@willhovell9019]

I'm a London Welshman and find your claim ridicilous about your assertion about insulting Northerners. Don't induldge in fabricated Tory culture wars. London is hyper cultural , one of the reasons why London has higher State school attainments than much of the rest of the home countries. Where is your evidence ?

[@wesleymorris-laviolette1543]

Mon ami, my friend, you may as well have been talking about french canada in your commentary about English attitudes towards the Welsh and the Welsh's attitude towards themselves in how similar the situation is here in Ontario. Love you work, meilleurs salutations

[@BenLlywelyn]

Bienvenue, et mots gentils.

[@nicaldridge5132]

Hi BEN, I was wondering if you've come across a book called, 'Talk Tidy,' by John Edwards... I never realised there were two uses of the word Wenglish until watching your video. This book gives an introduction to the version very dear to the people of the South Wales Valleys, where English was learnt (or miss learnt) by native Welsh speaker during the industrial revolution.... resulting in a unique dialect of English?!?!

[@BenLlywelyn]

That is absolutely a valid use for it as well. I think I might have seen it somewhere. I used the word Wenglish as I did not want to use patois or creole too much. Diolch am wylio!

[@ZadenZane]

For TV and the media i think you do definitely need a standard form of a language that is not dialect otherwise it can look as if you're favouring one part of the country over the others. If you can be neutral and speak a language without local dialect then people will focus on the message not the messenger. What i found confusing about the Welsh lessons at school was that the literary Welsh and dialect Welsh were never explained to us. We were never taught grammar in any depth, i found out that for myself from books and learned the dialect from friends. When you get to 16 in the British education system you have to drop every academic subject except for the 3 you take forward to A Level meaning i dropped Welsh. I did French, German and English at A Level but no Welsh and I so regret that now. I always thought my Welsh wasn't very good because after 3 years I still couldn't understand most of what people said around me. Looking back i was actually close to the edge of becoming fluent, so much so that 30 years later I can still understand TV and news broadcasts so well i was shocked when i tuned in the other day. I'm nowhere close to knowing every word but I do follow the gist. So I'm learning again. In London! If I do return to wales I'm determined to come back as a fluent Welsh speaker!

[@BenLlywelyn]

Thank you for sharing. I think not developing state education in Welsh early as a de facto medium harmed the language because it only picked up during the progressive era of the late 20th and early 21st century which was obsessed with deconstructing western culture. Thankfully, I think we are slowly moving on from those ideas now.

[@garmit61]

I am born and bread in the south of England to a welsh father and English mother. I still have family in wales and none speak Cymraeg. I’ve been learning yr hen iaith for a number of years and i’m jealous that my welsh cousins, aunts and uncles have so much of their language around them and myriad opportunities to speak it. I’m also frustrated that they are so patriotic but don’t feel that the language has any part in that. In fact , an uncle is derogatory of welsh speakers as well as the language, constantly moaning about the amount of money invested in promoting its use. My view is that there is a significant part of the older generation who grew up in wales after Cymraeg had been banned in schools and stigmatised by the English government which feels the promotion of welsh will somehow take some of the legitimacy of their welshness away. I think they afraid of becoming regarded as somehow less welsh by not understanding and using welsh. It’s an odd behaviour to me because even the place names give them Knowledge of Cymraeg. Place names like ‘Dinas Powys’, ‘Aber’anything, ‘Pont’anything give clues. And now that English place names have the welsh equivalent on public signs they must see names like Abertawe, Caerdydd, Cas-Newydd regularly. I thing many know mire welsh than the realise. O bydded i’r hen iaith barhau! Diolch am eich vlog, roedd hi’n wahanol a ddiddorel iawn. Dw i’n mwynhau eich channel chi.

[@BenLlywelyn]

Diolch yn fawr iawn. Placenames in Cymru tell a long and layered story.

[@fredericosampaio6457]

Fideo Gwych Iawn, fel pob fideo bod chi'n gwneud, Ben 👏👏👏I wonder whether this code switching to english by any cymro in front of an authority is derived from any political oppression in the past 🤔

[@BenLlywelyn]

It is a subject that would require an entire book! Diolch am wylio.

[@joshadams8761]

Albanian is similarly bifurcated into northern (Gheg) and southern (Tosk) varieties.

[@BenLlywelyn]

Is this Gheg spoken in Kosovo?

[@joshadams8761]

@@BenLlywelyn Yes.

[@neilevans4352]

filltir sgwar, the term you use to describe where your family and lifelong friends live because very few move away from that, i can look at the very first school picture taken in primary school and very few have moved away👍

[@BenLlywelyn]

That is amazing to me. And rare. Grew up around bikers amd caravans and cowboys, all.coming and going - no one knew each other for long. Even now Caerdydd and Abertawe are easier for me to live in as people have moved usually.

[@phoenixknight8837]

Hi Ben, did you ever take a survey of random Welsh people to find out why many of them avoid speaking Welsh?

[@BenLlywelyn]

Maybe a video idea?

[@phoenixknight8837]

@@BenLlywelyn agreed.

[@serenitygoodwyn]

Random, Welsh person here. The reason I avoided speaking Welsh: I wanted to go to university and study Physics, Welsh wasn't going to help me achieve that, in fact learning Welsh distracted me from mastering the subjects that would help me achieve that. I felt the same way about history, art, and various other subjects that weren't physics, chemistry, math or music (I just liked music). As such, I didn't see any use for it in my life. The language isn't widely used in most of Wales and everyone who speaks Welsh older than 2 yrs old speaks English even where it is spoken. I'm dyslexic but wasn't diagnosed until I was in University so learning any language was extremally difficult. The main reason is the Welsh speaking people I encountered in my life left me not wanting to have anything to do with the language. I lived in a predominantly English speaking area but the kids from the local Welsh speaking school were extremally unpleasant to any kid that didn't speak Welsh, they would get of the bus and randomly start yelling abuse unprovoked at the other kids who weren't wearing the 'right' uniform. Then there was the fact that North West Wales where the majority of Northern Welsh speakers are, were extremally hostile to English people, and if you were Welsh but didn't speak Welsh you were treated even worse than the English. My Aunty moved to that area of the world and was with a friend who did speak Welsh. She went into a shop and the shop keeper started insulting my Aunty in Welsh to her friend, her friend replied in English 'she's as Welsh as you' are and walked out dragging my Aunty with her. But the fact that the shop keeper thought it was acceptable to do that , should give you the idea of how prevalent that sort of attitude is and how widely accepted it is. Clearly it's not everyone, as demonstrated by my Aunt's friend coming to her defence, but enough that it gave me a very negative view of people who spoke the language so I really didn't want to be associated with it at all. I'm much older now and haven't lived in North Wales for over 20 yrs. South Wales is a much friendlier place regardless of the language spoken and with age I've developed more of an appreciation for the arts and languages. I'm starting to think I would like to learn a language and Welsh would be the obvious choice.

[@IosuamacaMhadaidh]

A standard would also be nice for those who are learning by themselves, to help clear up pronunciation and grammar.

[@BenLlywelyn]

Cytuno / Agree

[@marconatrix]

@@BenLlywelyn Well wasn't Cymraeg Byw supposed to be a (learner's?) spoken standard ... but it never found favour with native speakers afaik ... ???

[@BenLlywelyn]

@@marconatrix I think so. Cennard Davies wrote about that. Before my time.

[@edwardthomas6956]

There is also the basic failure, especially among English speaking people, to appreciate the need to count the cost in time and effort of learning ANY language... Welsh in particular is reckoned by experts to need twice the time to learn to the time required to learn French... Sobering indeed

[@BenLlywelyn]

Mainly due to Welsh's vocabulary. But its rules are far more regular than French

[@derpnasty3557]

Hey Llywelyn. Dw i di bod yn dysgu Cymraeg am tua mis! I’m an American living in California but noticed the north/south Welsh divide you speak of. I lean towards learning north simply because I feel it’s a more preserved version of the language but I have no evidence or knowledge to defend this bias. Your videos are amazing and this channel is criminally underrated. Diolch yn fawr!!

[@BenLlywelyn]

Croeso Derp! I wish you well on your taith (journey). A diolch yn fawr!

[@eAcetaldehyd]

I definitely wouldn't say that about Northern vs. southern Welsh. Also there aren't more speakers of Northern - they're a bigger % of the local population but the vast majority (numerically) of welsh speakers live in the South (which, for linguistic purposes, is most of the country - Aberystwyth and down). People in the south tend to speak a little more slowly and if you'd asked me which was the easier to learn I'd probably say Southern, but then as a native speaker (of a hybridised version) my perspective isn't neutral. I agree with Ben that the differences are exaggerated.

[@serviustullus7204]

I agree with what you say. Welsh simply needs a standard Welsh to validity its identity/longevity. North and South is based on medieval politics.

[@BenLlywelyn]

Interesting.

[@serviustullus7204]

Pre Roman Gaul (France) was speaking a dialect of Welsh and had Welsh dynasties in its royal families. Because Bronze and tin was that important, and so was the Pythagorean traditions and oral culture of the druid castes.

[@octavisanchez3650]

Same things happen to Catalans switching to Spanish

[@BenLlywelyn]

I can see how that would be.

[@Fbdagm2011]

Third; I’d never thought about the deferential way Welsh speakers give way to English speakers. Thanks for this insight. My wife and I were in with a group of 8 Welsh speakers and they talked in English when we were in the room, Welsh when we weren’t. I thought of this as polite. Maybe it’s subservient. Would the French do this? Or the English? (😂).

[@BenLlywelyn]

The French would never do such a thing. Welsh can learn a great deal from France.

[@serviustullus7204]

The Nationalist game of the 16th century is a reality. Welsh is a throwback to an archaic age.

[@BenLlywelyn]

We Welsh got a lot done in the 16th century.

[@DruidicOrthodox]

Do you know any good beginner short story books to read in Cymraeg? Diolch!

[@BenLlywelyn]

Here you go; learnwelsh.cymru/learning/amdani-series/

[@serviustullus7204]

The politics of the Roman Empire has had a long term effect.

[@BenLlywelyn]

Quite so.

[@edwardthomas6956]

Ineluctably I must conclude that it is down to you and all your non Welsh subscribers to really properly promote the Welsh language if Welsh people feel too strongly about the language lacking prestige. It should be seen as the senior language of Great Britain

[@BenLlywelyn]

Welsh is the British Language and that is beautiful.

[@joshuagregory3723]

Hatred of the Welsh language, this used to be me and from my experience this was because it was JAMMED down my throat growing up that if you speak Welsh / go to a Welsh school you are superior! Now that I'm 20 years on and trying to learn the language on my own decision, I find it more enjoyable rather than having it forced on me!

[@BenLlywelyn]

It is amazing the wisdom 20 years gives.

[@hedydd2]

Although I am a first language Welsh speaker, my education in Welsh was dire. I went to particularly poor schools in that respect. I have several originally English speaking friends that have learnt Welsh, some in their late teens, and they tend to have a far better vocabulary than I do. On the other hand my English tends to be more correct than theirs. Mae cywilydd arno fi. Dylen neid fwy o ymdrech.

[@BenLlywelyn]

Does dim meistr crefft heb daith hir o ymarfer. Dal ati.

[@VIEW-ut3bu]

Funny, because in growing up in a black urban setting to say 'yes' or 'course stupid' we said 'Duh'!! Quite fascinating.

[@BenLlywelyn]

Glad I made you laugh.

[@truvakaplanmusicinternatio7671]

Ben: I assumed you grew up in a Cymraeg home and spoke Cymraeg as a child. It must be your last name...

[@BenLlywelyn]

No, learned, Studied. Enjoyed. Loved.

[@DJ-jn3on]

I've had mixed reactions with the Welsh. Many years ago, I decided to visit North Wales, and although I loved the countryside, the people weren't friendly. It left a bad impression, but many years after that, I met a really nice family from South Wales. They told me the South can be a bit more friendlier than the North.

[@BenLlywelyn]

Im glad you found warmth in the end.

[@serenitygoodwyn]

I grew up in North Wales. I moved to South Wales for university and never moved back up North despite my family all being there, precisely because South Wales is sooooo much friendlier than North Wales. It's a night and day comparison. And I was from North East Wales, North West Wales, now that can go beyond unfriendly depending on where you go. Although I think they hate people from North East Wales more than anyone because we're Welsh but we're 'too English' for their liking.

[@cipherx6334]

Welsh is still being oppressed to this day, albeit in more underhanded ways than it was.

[@BenLlywelyn]

It seems less of an oppression and more of a lack of responsibility. Although a few now and then are anti Welsh, they are a small faction.

[@Fbdagm2011]

Second; the fact that there are tensions in Welsh society that play out around language is not made clear enough.. my neighbour is a fanatically proud Welshman from a working class family who grew up on a council estate in Aberystwyth. he grimaced when I said I was learning Welsh. People who speak Welsh are up their own arses he said. When he was in school, it was townies versus farmers and they’d attack people for speaking Welsh, like a,l the farmers did. He says ‘ I’m Welsh and I don’t need to speak Welsh to be Welsh”. For him, it’s a ‘posh’ thing.

[@BenLlywelyn]

The language within native Welsh seeking Welshness entirely through an Anglo identity is an issue we now must come to and discuss more as a society and find a way through to save our language. We could go the way of Ireland if we don't solve this.

[@Fbdagm2011]

@@BenLlywelyn I think I’m trying to say that there’s a class element to language and culture. My neighbour is VERY proud to be Welsh. Flags and all. He just sees the Welsh speakers as posh or farmers. He’s obs defining welshness outside of language.

[@BenLlywelyn]

@@Fbdagm2011 It is 1 of our greatest challenges.

[@serviustullus7204]

Is there not S4 BBC Welsh? That is standard.

[@BenLlywelyn]

No.

[@petertrevorah7388]

Gonn meur ras a’th kusulyow splann. Pur dhe les yns, dell grysav.

[@barnbersonol]

Dwi'n ymweld a Gwynedd o'r de yn rheolaidd a sa I byth yn profi ahwylder o gwbl gyda'r dafodiaith. Fi'n deall nhw a maen nhw'n deall fi. Mae pobl yn gorliwio'r sefyllfa. Mae gan bawb s4c ac mae pob ysgol Gymraeg yn denu athrawon o rannau eraill o Gymru. Diolch am uwchlwytho'r vids ma!

[@BenLlywelyn]

Croeso, mae eraill ar y ffordd!

[@gandolfthorstefn1780]

Dw i'n ymweld Gwynedd o'r de yn rheolaidd...Is this also an acceptable sentence in Welsh? I left out the 'a' before Gwynedd.

[@barnbersonol]

@@gandolfthorstefn1780 no, it doesn't sound right. It's like saying "I go Gwynedd" or "I arrive Cardiff"

[@gwynedd4023]

i can not understand south welsh radio for the life of me forget how its a diffrent dialect they speak fast while making words sound the same

[@BenLlywelyn]

Daw popeth ag ymarfer. All comes with practice.

[@bethanydavies8197]

I grew up moving between Herefordshire in England and northern Ceredigion in Wales, I spoke mostly English but also some Welsh and the usual reactions to this in England were pretty much 'you like rugby then?' or occasionally 'sheep shagger' (I only got that one a couple of times) In Wales it was much more normal to speak one or the other and most people I knew would converse with me in either language. My family actually comes from Gwynedd so it's lovely to hear that it's one of your favourite parts of Wales, my great-grandfather actually helped to rebuild the Ffestiniog railway and later lived in Conwy. I study Classics and the fact that there was some Latin in it was actually really fun to identify and find while studying the language (I'm now fluent).

[@BenLlywelyn]

Always a pleasure to hear someone has become fluetn in y Gymraeg. Or was that Latin?

[@bethanydavies8197]

@@BenLlywelyn Both to be honest, Latin for my studies, Welsh for in Wales and a bit of reading. Sorry, that wasn't clear in my previous comment.

[@thegreenmage6956]

Because Welsh underwent much of the process for Language Death, we now have all the hallmarks of this phenomenon, along with slang diversification supplemented by majority words from the dominant language, loss of native vocabulary, petty tribalism as to which forms are better, little to NO language prestige, and the resultant lack of a straight, 'correct' form of Welsh to hold everything together. We won't last the century without a reform. I very much like your Aspirational Welsh idea. Unfortunately the Welsh identity is too heavily clamped with a working class identity, from which the majority of modern speakers will not be able to detach themselves - this also accounts for the overwhelming supremacy of a Socialist government. Edit: just want to say again, it's important, how much I value your videos, I believe they are making and will make a difference. Thank you.

[@BenLlywelyn]

Many thanks Green Mage. There is still plenty of hope. But we must move fast and organise without class war divides and narrow group resentments.

[@grahamfleming8139]

Scots Is a separate language from English, div ee Ken whit am talkin aboot no,gan gat sim witter fir tha cuddy.

[@serviustullus7204]

There is a lack of appreciation for the Welsh language. Is language an expression of race-genetics? Or political identity? Languages do need state and authoritative support. Is Welsh inferior as a language? If so, how? Are the accomplishments of Welsh language inferior?

[@BenLlywelyn]

Welsh was under Latin in prestige. When Saxon inmigrants came in they took in some Latin and replaced it in ports as they prestige language and took over.

[@maharencall3219]

Heia Ben, dw i'n cytuno bod 'na ormod o bwyslais ar y rhaniad rhwng gogs a hwntws, ond fel dywedaist ti, mân wahaniaethau sy' rhyngddyn nhw mewn gwirionedd. O ran yr iaith safonol, dywedwn i ei bod hi'n bodoli eisoes, ar ffurf y cyweiriau mwy ffurfiol. Os wyt ti'n sgwrsio mewn cywair anffurfiol, mae'r gwahaniaethau tafodieithol yn cicio mewn, ond hyd yn oed mewn cywair canolig (e.e. rydw i'n credu) mae'r iaith yr unfath ni waeth ble ei di. Dw i'n credu mai oherwydd y cyfieithiad o'r Beibl yw hyn

[@BenLlywelyn]

Sylwad da am y Beibl. Mi aeth hwnnw lawer at ffurf bresennol y Gymraeg, ac yn wir ei gadw rhag ymfreisioni'n ieithau isel mân.

[@eAcetaldehyd]

TI'n hollol iawn. Mae yna ffurf safonol yn bodoli yn y cyweiriau ffurfiol; y broblem yw mai anaml yw'n cael ei ddefnyddio mewn cyd-destunau lle mae pobl yn dod ar ei thraws; mae'n well gan nofelwyr ac ati ddefnyddio'u tafodieithoedd (am wn i am ei bod hi'n gwneud iddynt edrych yn fwy 'dilys' (ceisio cyfleu 'authentic' ydw i!) mewn rhyw ffordd). Roedd hyd yn oed ymgais i safoni'r iaith ar lefel ffurfiol - Cymraeg Clir oedd enw'r ymgyrch - sydd, am wn i, yn sylfaen i'r ffordd mae'r gymraeg ffurfiol yn cael ei ddefnyddio heddiw. Cyfuniad o elfennau o'r de a'r gogledd e.e."i fyny" ynlle "lan" ond "nawr" ynlle "rwan".

[@gandolfthorstefn1780]

gwasanaeth, traeth, and gwyddoniaeth are Masculine,bywoliaeth is feminine.🤔

[@BenLlywelyn]

Gwyddoniaeth is feminine.

[@KelliMcD]

You are arrogant to say what has lasted many centuries, needs centralization so you can figure it out.

[@BenLlywelyn]

Basques said the same as me and have had great success.