As many viewers have noted, there are some pronunciation problems with the Irish samples in the video. Click here for a mini-video containing new and improved Irish audio samples with more authentic pronunciation: ua-cam.com/video/OP91sCommJw/v-deo.html (it's about 30 seconds long). Thanks!
+Adam Wyse Literally every source I referenced uses the term "British Isles" to refer to both Britain and Ireland. Maybe you disagree with that, but I'm not sure what I can do about it. I'm certainly not the one deciding these things.
I speak Welsh. Today I was in a pharmacy in Aberystwyth. I initially spoke to the lady behind the counter in English. Then, hearing her Welsh accent and seeing her name badge (a Welsh name), I asked her if she spoke Welsh. She did, so we continued in Welsh. Why did I start in English? Because the previous time I had been into that pharmacy, I spoke in Welsh first. The man behind the counter said to me, in a condescending way, "Could you say that in French" (which I then did ... that's beside the point - and actually didn't help matters, as I don't think he understood that either). Part of the problem with Welsh at the moment is not that people don't speak it, but that many of those who don't speak it also do not respect it. And that discourages its use. A note on your figures for the number of Welsh speakers: the 508,000 comes I think from the 1991 census. It is higher than that now.
as a filthy englishman, I've never encountered a sense of distaste toward any of the gaelic languages (other than the odd joke of it sounding like a seizure)
I have heard that the greatest number of Welsh-speakers are in the northwestern parts of the country. I would like to ask if this is true, and if so, can one go into a store or ask someone for the time, etc. and take it for granted that one will be understood?
There are around the same amount of Welsh speakers in the north and south but there are less people in the north so it's more likely to come across someone who can speak Welsh. I couldn't give you an answer on wether you could because I live in the south but I reckon you probably could.
I'm a Sardinian living in Ireland.. once I expressed my interest on learning Gaelic to my Irish landlord, and he got so mad that he almost insulted me, literally calling Irish Gaelic "rubbish". He went on stating that his children better don't waste time learning Irish, and that they should spend that time learning French, just in case they travel to France on holidays one day! It was really depressing! Recently, some customers in a restaurant in Cork, Ireland, complained about an employee who was speaking Gaelic, so the restaurant manager forbid all employees to speak Gaelic, despite it's the Official language of the Republic of Ireland! Sooo depressing!
Tziu Ricky I remember that when I worked in a big restaurant in the Basque Country my boss asked to me to give advising by speakers about wrong parked cars. He "asked" (allways in Basque) to do it only in Spanish, but I allways did first in Basque and second in Spanish.
Mikel Arana Etxarri Hello my Basque friend! That's despicable that he wanted you to speak in Spanish first. However, in your country you are still lucky! In Sardinia if you speak the Sardinian language in public, most people would freak out and call you impolite or "a rude shepherd / retrograde caveman". Even more strange, girls / women are the ones that hate the language the most, so they forbid it to their chlidren and force them to speak only Italian. I'm glad my grandparents couldn't speak Italian and I spent a lot of time with them, otherwise I wouldn't even know how to speak my own language.
I was born in Wales, but was not allowed to speak or learn my own language druing the 1950s. As an adult, now living outside Wales, I have tried to learn Welsh, but find it difficult. I feel a great loss at not having my own language and instead having had to use English instead. A significant community of Welsh speakers, including bilingual Spanish-Welsh schools, exists in Patagonia, Argentina.
I'm trying to learn Cymraeg with Duolingo & Say Something in Welsh. The last one i found especially helpful because you get to speak Cymraeg. As you are in the UK you can use the S4C & BBC sources that i on the continent have no access to. There also are Cymraeg speaking groups all over the UK. Please don't give up, it's too beautiful & needs support, particularly from the rest of the UK. Cymru am byth!
Hey it's not your fault man and there's no shame In it, from what I can see in your comment you're just as much a Welshman as any who speak Welsh. I learned Welsh in school and to be honest I wish I'd learned it later in life as there are so many English words I simply don't know, it's quite awkward when you're discussing a scientific topic and someone asks you a simple term and you're left guessing. don't give up on the dream, it might be a challenge and maybe you only pick up a few things but at least you tried your best man and that's all anyone can ever ask of themself. I read up on the Patagonian Welsh interesting stuff really, they have their own version of the Eisteddfod and hen wlad fy nhadau amongst other things.
Hello! I am Catalan, but I have been living in Ireland (Dublin) for two years now. Even if no one speaks Irish in Dublin, I have been studying Irish since I arrived in Ireland and I love it! I will always defend it because I think it deserves all our support. If we don't defend it, it won't survive and I don't want it to go extinct. As a native speaker of a minority language (Catalan) I am very sympathetic towards Irish gaelic. Is breá liom Gaeilge!!!
The character of Stephen Maturin, in the many seafaring novels of Patrick O'Brian, comes from a Catalan and Irish background. He's a very complex character, deeply intellectual, full of secrets and surprising abilities, doubts and courage. The other principal character in these novels, Jack Aubrey, is a brilliant naval tactician but not socially sophisticated. So the two characters, put together, make a fascinating study in contrasts and affinities. I have no idea whether the Maturin character would intrigue or offend you. But O'Brian writes very well, and he is committed to developing these characters, I can say that.
I speak Welsh, it is my first language. I do speak it outside of school. I think that being able to speak Welsh is part of my culture. It is important as it is part of my social culture and can benefit me in the sense that knowing 2 different languages will benefit my way of thinking. I
It can also benefit in other ways, as an official language of the UK you have the right to use it. I had a friend at an English university whose first language was Welsh who the university had to give extra time to in exams as the were unable to mark them in Welsh so he had to do them in English (despite the fact that he had had to sit most of his high school exams in English at his school in Wales but got no extra time there).
+Pomp Mag Unfortunately Welsh only has official status within Wales (and that's despite areas of Shropshire still supporting Welsh language communities), so that story is most likely untrue.
I'm a Breton native speaker. Thank you for your video! I have been raised in Breton and sent to a Breton school as well. I use the language in my daily life (so many parts of the Internet have been translated to Breton over the past years), with my friends and family. I do not imagine my life without this language. Even though French has became the dominating language in Brittany, the Breton language is now a reason of pride while it used to be a reason of shame during the two past centuries. I want to be optimistic, seeing the growing number of people learning the language and the development of Breton in the public spaces. The biggest threat to the Breton language is now, in my opinion, no longer the French language, but rather the way it can be taught. Teaching a language is not enough to save it (see the example of Latin). It has to live in the lives of people on a daily basis :-)
Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
T'as raison. Je suis en train de préparer un exposé sur les langue minoritaire en France et je trouve dommage qu'il y ait autantes de cultures qui sont subtilement discriminés par la société. Même s'il y a quelques efforts de renforcer les langues régionales, on ne peut pas nier qu'un usage "approprié" et préféré par beaucoup de locuteurs natifs du francais
Le problème que j'ai avec l'apprentissage du Breton, c'est que c'est trop "vieux jeux", même sur Internet. Il y a peu de ressources et peu de ces ressources sont "intéressantes" pour les nouvelles générations, selon moi. C'est une langue très difficile à apprendre, mais pour les mauvaises raisons et cela devrait changer ! Même les initiatives pour l'enseigner sont rares ou peu accessibles, que cela soit dans Paris ou vers la Bretagne elle-même.
I am a native Welsh speaker from North Wales. All of my family and most of my local community speak Welsh. I find it very valuable to speak Welsh because it's a vital part of my life, the community I live in and the history of Wales. "Cenedl heb iaith yw cenedl heb galon" (A nation without a launguage is a nation without a heart). I very much hope the Welsh language survives and thrives in the years to come and that we'll meet the goal of a million Welsh seakers by 2050 set out by the Welsh government.
There are a number of college students in Provo, Utah, USA each semester that are learning to speak and read in welsh! We are helping to keep it alive! Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth, rin ni yma o hyd!!
Unfortunately it isn't that these languages are simply "dying off." They were actively suppressed for centuries, along with all sorts of cultural practices, and people were punished for using their own languages. Even now, the culture is such that these languages are often put down, and the difficulty in trying to use them more broadly helps reinforce the original colonial attempt to wipe them out. It is really a lot like the policies in Canada that tried to totally wipe out First Nations languages and cultures. Language really influences how we see and understand the world, which is why languages become targets for those who want to control others.
Agreed. Half my neighbours are Cree, Saulteaux or Metis. Very few of the younger generations can speak their ancestral languages. For that matter I only know a few words of Scots Gaelic.
While it’s true celtic nations were suppressed and aided in their linguistic destruction, it’s not too late to bring them back. Learn the language of your choice and have at least 3 kids to ensure linguistic survival. We can do this
@@haltdieklappe7972 yeah we need to be the foundation, so the next generation can have an easier time learning these language, thankfully even since this video slot of work has been done
@@calumpatrick319 the only real way to ensure a smaller language’s survival is by having lots of kids so that you essentially create native speakers. The people that want these languages to survive but aren’t willing to have kids are the reason the language is dying
I come from Brittany. I understand few cornish or welsh words because our own celtic languages have similar brythonic roots. For exemple, to say "Merry Christmas" in Brittany, we say "Nedeleg Laouen". In Cornwall it say "Nadelik Lowen" and in Wales it say "Nadolig Llawen". We have to fight to keep our languages alive. 🏴🇮🇪🇮🇲Celtic United🏴==➕
Fascinating, there is a Norwegian word Nydelig, meaning wonderful. I wonder if that is related to the word you show in different Celtic languages here.
@@Jellygamer0 well the cornish identity seem to be growing. Every year more and more school students identify as ethnically cornish, and with the language the cornish culture is staying strong.
I'm irish and live in Australia now. I met a Breton French man and was surprised to find out he felt strong ties to Ireland and had learned some Gaeilge himself!
Ive met several Bretons and Basques abroad who felt an affinity with Ireland but many Irish people outside of the Irish speaking community would have little knowledge of these cultures.
@@thenewhope8171 Good luck with that 😀 I gave up months ago. They have no expenation on how to pronounce the words. It is really frustrating not to be able to read properly.
@@afterought6275 Don't give it up, Duo is somewhat good for practicing, but it musnt be your main resource. I'm learning it, all of it through the internet, and I'm in Mexico. I can point you out to resources if you want
@@alcurtis93Sad that some people think that languages somehow have to be 'useful' in the world! Language is a part of your identity, hence the historic way that the 'enemy' forced the conquered to learn their languages, and in many cases made it illegal to use their own. I am always wound up when I read comments that treat language as merely some kind of tool. Also, there is a sense that you can't do both. I love Russian, and learn it for that purpose, because I have little use for it. I also took the opportunity to learn Welsh. Yes, I have Welsh ancestry, but I learn it because it is a beautiful language.
Hey! I'm from Brittany (Bretagne in French). Very true, even my grandparents don't speak Breton for the simple reason they were forbidden to do so ever since school. It was considered as a "dirty" or "peasant" language. Plus, French Republic has always shitted on regional languages since the Revolution, because "the only language of the Republic is French"! Yeah, the Declaration of Men's Rights quickly was thrown to the trash. All of my family is from Brittany yet (as far as I know) only one cousin of mine speaks it. We now have Diwan schools, bilingual road signs and regional TV&radio channels but everyone speaks in French.
Gallout a rez deskiñ Brezhoneg :) Tu peu apprendre le breton :) Je sais pas ou tu vie donc j'aurais du mal a te conseiller mais par exemple a paris il y a la mission bretonne qui donne des cours de breton, en Bretagne i y a la licence de Breton a rennes 2 et a L'UBO a brest. Il existe aussi les formations 6 mois (accessible a tous ), ou encore la possibilité d'essayer avec des méthodes je conseille personnellement celle de Marc kerain " Ni a gomz Brezhoneg" et pour compléter on recherche pas mal de licencié, Dons pour ceux qui veulent du boulot et près a bouger un peu en Bretagne c'est un bon plan :)
Rétablissez la Monarchie en France. Si les Bretons se sont battus contre les Républicains pendant la Révolution (révolte des Chouans), c'est parce que la République avait pour mission de détruire TOUTES les cultures et coutumes régionales. En tant que Québécois, je voudrais un Roi en France pour remplacer la Reine d'Angleterre. On n'est pas Anglais ici donc Elizabeth II peut rester reine dans le reste du Canada mais PAS au Québec 😣
Les rois de France n'ont pas aidé les Bretons. Quand la monarchie a été rétablie après la révolution, la politique de destruction des langues régionales s'est continuée sans interruption.
Interesting :--) Here in Wales we were forbidden to Speak Welsh (Cymraeg) by the English.... Also "Wales" is not a nice term....it was a name used to describe us...it means outsiders or something....our Country is called Cymru. :--)!
Haven’t seen many Scots in the comments so here’s my take: I speak English as my first language and speak almost fluent Scottish Gaelic. I am aware that in the Highlands and Hebrides it is quite common to speak Gaelic but living in a large(ish) city, where most of the Scottish population is, I truly never hear it around. Scottish Gaelic truly is a beautiful language and it deeply disheartens me to see it die out. If the government does not even try to save it, it is already dead
Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
That's because unlike in Ireland (and indeed Wales with Welsh) Gaelic was never a universally spoken language in what is now Scotland, being mainly confined to the west of Scotland, where the Dalriadan Irish settled. The language never really penetrated east over the Grampian Mountains to a massive degree, where the Picts spoke a different Celtic language (sadly now lost). The Eastern Picts had quite a bit more interaction with their Anglo-Saxon neighbours to the south who of course spoke English so it became a bigger influence on that part of Scotland. So by the time the Gaels to power over Pictland (Kenneth I), and Acotland was formed, Gaelic was the language of court, but English had become the language of the plebs in Eastern Alba
I speak Scottish Gaelic and was a bit disappointed that there were no examples of it in the video, but I so thoroughly enjoyed it! I am not a native speaker, but am passionate about it and plan to move to Scotland in order to help the wonderful people who are keeping the language alive. I also plan on helping to establish a Braille code in Scottish Gaelic. Even within the 2 language groups, intelligibility is limited when listening to spoken language, but is better when reading. I do hope we continue our efforts to keep those beautiful, endangered languages alive.
Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
Not in Wales. 500,000 speakers in a country of 3 million people and up to 800,000 in total that can either speak fluent or know bits of Welsh.. The Welsh language is growing in Wales and the Welsh parliament has set a target of getting up to a million people in Wales speaking Welsh fluently with in the next 25 years. The only reason why Welsh declined is because England made it illegal.
justcarcrazy in the movie "Brave" the lullaby "Noble Maiden Fair" has Scottish Gaelic lyrics, and especially with the language's current status I think that is so important.
@celtic dread the welsh sometimes "Hate" the English. in history, I was taught that all English people were slimy, wretched piles of sewage, I was even taught that english was the language of the devil.
Hi Paul, I'd like to add some info, while in Europe Welsh is declining here in Argentina that's not the case, you see in the last years in the Argentinian Province of Chubut the number of Welsh speakers is increasing and it's officialy considered as the second languge. The reasons of Welsh people in Chubut are several and started in XIX Century but the brif story is that the Argentinian Government needed to populate the region and some Welsh people wanted to scape from the English tyranny which forced them to change their langueage and costum. Actually now there are decendents who speak and teach the lenguage and it's even taught in public schools. I am so sorry to make you read my awful English! Blwyddyn newydd dda!
+DdraigGochArg Thanks for the info! Don't worry, your English seems almost perfect. I notice that your avatar is the Welsh flag. Do Welsh-speakers in Argentina closely identify with Wales?
Langfocus I'm from Chubut too, and my school's headmasters is a Welsh descendant. She once told me that the Welsh community here has some traditional things that don't exist anymore in Wales.
***** I participated in the Eisteddfod in my local city! But I recited some kind of poem from Argentina, I don't remember, haha. I do remember that some people were speaking Welsh during the day, and since then, I wanted to learn Welsh just because I liked how it sound. I'll try to do my best next year.
WOW, you learn something new everyday! I knew during 1700-1900 Germans, Irish did alot of immigrating to South and Central Americas but I didn't look into all the other European immigrant groups. Spain and Portugal is just a given as to large populations relocating.
I am Argentinian too (Buenos Aires), and I am happy to know that Welsh it's really strong in chubut. Also we have a few towns around the country where German it's widely spoken, and several descendants communities where their languages are still being used, as Chinise, Korean, Armenian, Hebrew, Ukrainian, etc I am half Armenian and half German, so, at the end, Argentina It's multicultural country and that makes us rich. Espero poder viajar pronto a Gaiman y Trevelin, Ia Patagonia es tremenda, saludos desde caba y me alegro de ver que Otros compatriotas siguen este canal.
When I travelled to Llanfairengogogoch in 2010, the whole town was speaking Welsh, everyone on the streets of all ages, and English was only used when we approached them in English.
Yes thats due to the two counties run by the Welsh political party 'Plaid Cymru' of Yns Mon (Anglesey) and 'Gwyneth' in N West Wales have Welsh speaking only schools so we all speak Welsh, and use English by De fault only.
@@andyh6849 it's my phone has no Google translate plus if I write I'm Welsh for some reason it don't recognise the word so changes it for, at times I forget to do a word check. But you seem to know what saying. No da.
I adore the Celtic languages. Sure, the Germanic and Romance languages are great and all, but there is really nothing quite like languages like Irish or Welsh.
Martial Kintu the Romance languages are overrated to hell and back, no doubt, but the Germanic languages really aren’t nearly as overrated and some like Icelandic and Faroese even get overlooked in their own right but yeah overall they’re still not as underrated as Celtic languages, I’ll give you that.
i just wrote the same!!! welcome celtic people here, were they coexist very pacific way(not as a british empire..malvinas are argentinas!!!) with tehuelches, natives people. As an argentine with roots from italy and spainlikemayority peoplehere i wish more celtic people here-- welcome!!!
Even though I don't know any of these languages, and only speak Arabic, English and French, PLEASE people who speak any Celtic languages PLEASE do not let it go extinct. Teach it to your children or your class, or family and impress your friends by saying a sentence in Gaelic so you can teach them. TBH, Celtic is a very beautiful language, and the culture intrigues me. I wish to learn in later years, from anyone who sees this comment.
I speak Persian, English, and German. Welsh is going to be my fourth language. I'm even thinking about continuing my education at Cardiff University so I can practice Welsh more. I adore the culture and the language so much.
If you speak Arabic, then learning a Celtic language will be a bit easier for you since the Celtic and Semitic languages have some striking grammatical similarities. LangFocus actually made a video about it.
YEEE I speak irish with my parents, particularly when abroad as no one can understand you. My grandad was a native irish speaker who only learned english when he started school, and had amazing irish. The english tried to stamp out the language in an attempt to eliminate irish culture entirely but it held on, and i think it's incredibly important that we hold on to it. I think if all schools in Ireland were gaelscoileanna we would save the language. I cant imagine it ever being the only language but i think our society could become bilingual.
Also, fhear and fhir were pronounced wrong. It is pronounced like the two consonants at the sentence beginning vanished. So instead of 'fear' being pronounced 'far', it's pronounced 'are' when spelled 'fhear'
I agree, its very hard upstand a language if you never actually speak it, and the only time you ever use the language is in when learning it and when you are tested on it
I really find myself quite attracted to the Celtic culture, it is so beautiful and rad , so I decided to learn that sacred language ,hope you Irish people keep holding to it , your culture is wonderful , so is your land , not to mention the music , I love jigs and reels .
YellawayHD ...and by "the English" I'm guessing you mean the aristocracy and their direct subordinates? It'd be like if an IRA bomb went off, and people went around saying it was "The Irish". The ordinary people of England/Britain had no say in the matter, and were oppressed the same as everyone else.
Dear Celtic speakers, your languages are your identities, don't go behind English use it as tool for communicating with foreign speakers.Use your language everyday and bring to the next genertions. I sad to hear most Celtic go extinction. Love from Sri Lankan Tamil. * I love Celtic music, especially Scottish
I have actually started putting all of my STRAVA cycle rides as Gaeilge. I have other users who are following me from different parts of the world who will see the Irish being used. I also make up new Strava "segments" in my local area and give them all Irish place names too :) Thank you for the post though, and from such a far away place too. I am Irish, and my son is half Tamil :)
@Anglia Alba Yes it is. Gaelic was even spoken in the lowlands at its peak (Middle Ages - post 10th century). Only the border areas and Lothian during the dark ages were part of that Northumbrian kingdom. So not even a third of the country. The fiefdom of Strath Cluth next to it was a Bretonnic one in the southwest of Scotland. The language of Gaelic became dominant when the kingdom of Dal Riada became influential. The Picts basically gaelicised themselves. It's not sure the Picts spoke a Bretonnic language before that (no written language left), as in that Pictish would have been a Bretonnic language related to Cumbric (extinct) and Welsh. Then again it certainly had nothing to do with English. The Old Saxons (invaded Britannia in the 5th century) didn't have that much of an influence in and on Scotland until Norman occupation, and the merging into the pidgeon tongue and culture Anglo-Saxon would become from the 11th century onwarth. Gaelic was still very much thriving up untill the 15th century in Scotland (language of Royal court and law). After that it went into decline through various antagonistic measures that were taken towards it by Scots (Inglis) lowlanders who thought to have "bettered" themselves having completely Anglicised. By which time Gaelic had receded to Highland and Island culture and clans alone. The term 'Scotti' itself is a reference to the Irish and thus Celtic culture that became dominant after the 8th century. Only after it became antagonised it starting being referred to as 'Erse' and an "inferior" language belonging to the "savage" clans as the Anglicised lowlands and nobility made that part of the propaganda against it. It was doomed after the Act of Union and treated very badly as it was solely associated from then onward with the Jacobite movement. From placenames to every token symbol monolingual Scots still wield today as typically Scottish (bagpipes, kilt (the big one, not the adapted smaller kilt you see today), haggis (unlike what a knobhead like Jeremy Paxman claims some English woman invented because it was mentioned in a cookbook), whiskey (Uisge Bheag)) are basically from that Goidelic culture. So yes, Scotland is a Celtic nation, but also an Anglo-Saxon one, and a Bretonnic one. Scotland isn't one thing, and never has been historically.
i just wrote the same!!! welcome celtic people here, were they coexist very pacific way(not as a british empire..malvinas are argentinas!!!) with tehuelches, natives people. As an argentine with roots from italy and spainlikemayority peoplehere i wish more celtic people here-- welcome!!!
Anglia Alba Rubbish. DNA tests show that there are over 100 different notable ethnic groupings in Scotland with Anglo-Saxon accounting for only 10% There are far more Norse, Celtic, Briton, Pictish DNA amongst Scots.
I've started to learn Cymraeg on duolingo. Very interesting how you Celtic people use VSO instead of SOV just like most of Indo-Eouropeans. Bore da, and greetings from 🇵🇱
I'm French. A friend of the family was a Breton who'd served in the Free French naval forces (FNFL) during WW2. He was stationed in the UK. He told us it was great to meet Welsh sailors, because he and the other Breton speakers could speak to them and more or less understand each other. "It was great, we couldsay what we liked. Rubbish the officers in front of their noses, they didn't understand a word we were saying!". Lucky for them there were no officers called Llewelyn or Le Goff !
As a native Welsh speaker I've never studied the grammar before. I was surprised when you pointed out the vowel mutations as I never considered them as mutations before. Very interesting video! Diolch yn fawr! As for the QOTD, I find it sad that the Welsh language, or languages in general, are only considered valuable in so far as they have 'currency' or 'purchase', ie. career opportunities, social mobility. I think this contributes to the decline of Welsh as many Welsh people would rather learn a language such as French which is more widely spoken and enables them to move to a more prosperous country. I use Welsh every day with my friends and family, and have even studied my University degree in some parts through the medium of Welsh. There are many people working hard to revive these Celtic languages, and there are lots of studies about how immigration can revitalise the Welsh language! Through that I hope Welsh can become a more vibrant language in a tolerant and plural Wales rather than 'yr hen iaith' as it's known. There's much work to be done but it is an interesting part of politics here in Wales! Thanks again!
@disturbedpentaholic you will love wales. I live in south Wales and the weather is always predictable with cold rain or drizzle barely snows. Basically like heaven.
Welsh speaker from Cardiff, brought up in Welsh schools and taught all subjects through the Welsh language. Being a Welsh speaker is part of my identity and the ability to sing my national anthem gives me a sense of pride as well as that my language has survived. YMA O HYD
I live in Wales and I speak Welsh every day with huge pride. Welsh is my mother tongue. I speak it at home with my parents and siblings. I speak it with my friends in and outside of school. My hope is to go to university to study through the medium of Welsh. I don’t feel my English is the best as I rarely speak it. However, I hear it all the time. I.e. the wider community, the media, tv, social media etc. It’s my privilege to speak Welsh and I feel, as many Welsh speakers do, it is my duty to look after it as so many generations of my family have despite all the obstacles they had to face. You might want to google ‘the Welsh Not’ as 1 example. Diolch yn fawr.
I wish this was me only with Scottish Gaelic.😔 Even in today's age of you tell someone (usually an elder in the lowlands) that you are learning Scottish Gaelic, they take the piss. Like I'm meant to be embarrassed of learning the language of the land. I would be elated if I was fluent, walked into a shop and we both just speak Scottish Gaelic
English is an invasive garbage that has to be eradicated from Wales. You have any right to study everything in your own country Wales in your mother tongue!
Yes!!! I am proud to say I have completed the course! Well, I completed what is available, they will be adding more lessons later. Tha Gàidhlig gu math sgoinneil!
I'm from Indonesia but I speak Irish Gaelic. My late partner (God rest his soul) was from Gaoth Dobhair and he was a proud speaker of Irish. He taught me Irish even before I could speak fluent English. Strangely enough, even now, my Cornish fiancé would remark in a grumpy tone that I tend to switch to Irish Gaelic whenever I drink too much. Knowing that my fiancé is a Cornish man from Penryn, I started learning Kernewek in Plymouth. I wrote him a love letter in Kernewek and he was like 'WTF?' He did not even know that the Cornish language is still alive (even though so far I only know 3 people who speak Cornish fluently; one of them is my teacher). When I spent a weekend in Machynlleth, a quaint village in North Wales, the lads in a pub asked me to speak Cornish and they were amazed that as Welsh speakers, they could understand what I say to some extent. It was a great night, the bartender gave me a bottle of Penderyn Aur Cymru 'fit for a Celt'.
What a genuine delight to know that these languages are being followed and remembered--and to hear examples, as well! We absolutely MUST preserve this human heritage! If we lose our history--which includes our languages--we lose our sense of ourselves as communities and our sense of our direction into the future. Thank you for your important work!
Hi, I'm a native Welsh speaker, and speaking Welsh and passing it on to my children is very important to me. BTW, there was a small mistake on the video: "arni" = on her "arnynt" = on them (They were the wrong way around on the video)
Although my family is from Scotland (my dad emigrated from Southern Scotland in his 20s), and I currently live in Nova Scotia, Canada, I keep running into Welsh, of all languages! A favorite book of mine growing up had a Welsh song in it (Howl's Moving Castle), another children's book set in Wales with a ghost in it...I can't remember the name but the last word was "Ffarwél", I lived in Wales for a year while my dad was doing some research there, and the list goes on. As a result, I've been kinda inspired to learn Welsh. I like the sound of it. But resources here are limited (it's hard enough to learn French here, and it's a national language!) Do you know any good online resources where I might begin to get a crack at it?
Don Raeside The BBC have a good Welsh course on their website. There was also a program called "The Big Welsh Challenge", but I'm not sure if that's accessible outside of the UK. Howl's Moving Castle is a lot of fun, and singing Calcifer's "funny little saucepan song" is a sure way to raise a smile.
I thought so too. In Breton it is: "warni" = on her. In dialectal English I have heard, "if it is in her to rain, it will rain" . In Breton, the common expression is: ma vé warni d'ober glaw, a rai glaw.
No, I think extinction basically comes from "Your language provides me with more opportunities than mine does. I want to learn it". Linguistic Darwinism, if you like.
@@istvanglock7445 origionally it most likely came from “Hey, you there, speak my labguage so that I can say I have more land than the rest of these people”
@@istvanglock7445 I agree but another reason is "I am better, my language is better. Unlearn and forget your language for you and your offspring or else"
Esteban Bernal Es una pena que no lo mencionara! Porque es una comunidad bastante importante en muchos aspectos (han nombrado pueblos y ciudades) y aún mantienen viva gran parte de su cultura
Patricio Iasielski Totalmente, siempre me pareció interesante como llegaron esos inmigrantes galeses al sur y mantuvieron su idioma y su cultura en un país tan alejado y tan distinto de su origen, y además siendo tan importantes para el desarrollo de la región en los inicios.
I also need to mention the amazing Dr Brian Stowell, my old manx teacher. Sadly he died last month and he was one of the key people to seriously resuscitate the language when it was properly on its knees. The last native speaker was Ned Maddrell ( he lived in one of those tiny, 2 room manx, thatched cottages. In fact his house was in the film Waking Ned) if I recall correctly Brian went round and recorded and documented the language from Ned before he died. If he hadn’t of done that it’s likely the language would have died completely. So cheers and RIP to Dr Stowell
I know this was over two years ago, but I gotta commend the guy. Even though I have never met him, I am grateful for the work he has done. Thank you for sharing!
He came to Wales and ran a clourse for me in Manx. He was a wonderful humble man with a great love for the Manx language. I am privileged to have known him.
Fi'n dysgu cymraeg! Fi'n byw yn de cymru, es i i ysgol iaith saesneg, felly alla i ddim yn siarad cymraeg yn rhugl eto! I'm learning Welsh! I live in South Wales, I went to an English language school in Wales so I'm not fluent yet. Taking a course and talking with many fluent locals! Before I learned Welsh I was lead to believe by the powers that be that it was common/filthy yet somehow complex. It was completely out of the question for me until I started learning Norwegian. Then I realised how important Welsh was to me, my family and country. I absolutely adore it and my intention is to live a life where I get to speak Welsh everyday. It has absolutely changed my life for the better
Приємно читати такі коментарі. Я з України, у нас багато людей цураються рідної мови. Тому мені приємно бачити людей, які повертаються до мови своїх предків. Нехай щастить!
I don't come from a community where a Celtic language is spoken - I grew up in England, but currently live in one - north Wales. My mother's family are from south Wales and probably spoke Welsh several generations ago, so I've always been interested in Welsh. I started learning it many years ago and now speak it fluently. I also speak Irish fluently and spend a week or two in Donegal in Ireland every summer where I speak as Irish much as possible. My Scottish Gaelic and Manx are reasonably good, and I have a basic knowledge of Cornish and Breton. I think that people who grow up in communities where a Celtic language is spoken do benefit from being able to speak it, by gaining access to a different culture and community, and helping to keep the language alive. Quite a few of my friends who come from outside Wales and who have settled here have learnt Welsh, and some are passing it on to their children.
I'm a native Irish speaker, my mom speaks it fluently but my dad doesn't, so when I was growing up I learnt both languages side by side. The one issue I had with Gaeilge in schools, (I went to an English school), was that the Irish course isn't like any other language course we do. We should be learning the language, how to speak it, understand it, the grammar behind it. But instead we have to learn poetry, study works in Irish. As students, there are so few native speakers, yet the Leaving Cert and Junior Cert course is treated like the English course. It would be fine if we were all native speakers, but the reality is we're not, and if the course continues down this line I feel that more and more young people will grow to hate the language even more, until it's eventual extinction.
Thank you, as a leaving cert student you have summed it up perfectly. In French class, we actually learn grammar/verbs etc. Whereas in Irish, we are expected to already be fluent. I would actually like to learn Irish properly but the educational system doesn't currently facilate that. But at least making the oral worth 40% is a step in the right direction
Fun fact: my great-grandfather spoke Scots Gaelic as his first language. However, he was forbidden to speak it around the home, or to pass it on to his children, by my great-grandmother, who saw Gaelic as a 'lower-class' language of the uneducated, and wanted her kids to speak English. So he would go outside and speak it to his horse xD
That's an unfortunately common story (well, not the horse bit. Your sinn-seanair was a bit unique there :P). Here in Wales, one of the most effective language-destruction tools the British state had was in portraying the language as low status and backward. That, along with the Welsh-Not system and other things associated with "Brad y Llyfrau Gleision" as it's called, saw the language vanish from vast areas of south Wales in a generation.
I don't see the language your g-g-father spoke, as "scots gaelic" is an oxymoron: either scots (germanic ancestry) or gaelic (celtic origin), but which language is "scots gaelic"?
Yves22 Semantics. I understood precisely what the commenter meant.
3 роки тому+43
My family is from Brittany, and my great-grandparents (born pre-war) spoke Breton either natively or fluently. The language was suppressed by the French administration, especially in schools where students were punished for speaking it (even during recess). In some schools, one rule forbid students from spitting and speaking Breton. Still, it remained the dominant language until after the war, when my grandparents were born. For them, proficiency is variable: most people in their generation can still understand some Breton and some speak it fluently, but their parents were much less likely to teach them Breton. My parents don’t speak it except for a few words, and I, not being born in Brittany, don’t know much more about the language as any regular French people my age. I truly hope Breton can go through a revival, and that I can learn it and use it with native speakers in the future
Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
ande mean under in gaulls andemantunum city of langre under the mantuna ... matuna ... marne ... marine mantuna ... the white land under the white land ....
Dear Celtic, Goidelic Languages: You all are so beautiful, rich as the hills with culture, literature, art, poetry. Your sight adds light and color to this world as the sky dons sun and moon. How much knowledge can you give? How many stories of the sea can tell? How many hearts can touch? You are as pure as the skies of this world and the world above. May your graces never leave us! Let this wish be heart-felt: that these languages be revived, if not for necessity, then for beauty of expression. My heart of culture cannot bear to have such languages lost!! May all forces of this great tree of languages rise up, be it of Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Manx, or Cornish in origin. And may they feel the desire to not only keep these languages to themselves as identity, but to share it among the people of the world.
Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
I've been learning Irish again for the last 2 years, as have a lot of other people. I think attitudes to Irish are changing so hopefully it won't be endangered for much longer
Den heb tavas a gollas y dir (A man without a language has lost his land) And this proverb is reflected in most other celtic lands: Hep Brezhoneg, Breizh ebet (Without Breton, no Brittany) Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon (A nation without a language is a nation without a heart) Tir gan teanga, tir gan anam (A land without a language is a land without a soul) Tir gun teanga, tir gun anam (A land without a language is a land without a soul) The languages, especially Cornish, are still under great pressure.
As a Cornishman, I'm glad that I could recognise the first saying - Den heb tavas a gollas y dir (A man without a language has lost his land) - as being in my language, Kernewek/Cornish. Meur ras / Thank you for posting these proverbs in the different Celtic languages.
I'm learning Welsh on duolingo. Can't say any definite reason why - I'm in Russia and never planned to migrate to Wales, but I have some misterious attraction to welsh language. It would be bad if it disappears. Though I feel it will be very hard to find someone to practice conversation :)
Dmitry Revenko My partner is a Welsh speaker and I learned most of my Russian by Duolingo ( it’s a great tool, although I believe you got to have the basics of a language to start learning by Duolingo )
Swmae! As a native welsh speaker i admire and appreciate this decision, but i have to say i am not sure that duolingo is the best place to learn it from. i have noticed numerous mistakes there myself...
In order to be fair, I always have to resist clicking on the "Like-Thumbs Up" button when I start watching one of Langfocus' videos. It never makes a difference because I always click that button at the end of each video. This is another well-researched and well-conveyed film piece, and I will be sending a link to it out to my friends who are interested in languages and culture.
I feel that it is Horrible that people had their language token away from them I hope the people who has had that happened to them keep their native tongue alive ✌️❤️ to y'all
If you mentioned the small Scottish Gaelic community in Nova Scotia then why didn't you mention the even larger Welsh community in Patagonia on the other side of the world?!
Very good point - Patagonian Welsh is under pressure from their colonial Argentinian masters - shame. When I lived in Cardiff quite a few Welsh speakers would go out to Patagonia to visit the extant Welsh speaking Chapels. They should secede from Argentina - Its claim to Patagonia is weak - mere contiguity.
Lol, William Douglas, is that meant as a joke or do you really have such bad sources? "Colonial masters"? They're immigrants, you wouldn't expect the Irish to claim New York, would you? I live in Chubut, not that far from where the Welsh settled. If they ever had any chance of seceding, it would have been a hundred years ago. Now, most of their descendants don't even speak Welsh, or speak Spanish as their first language, and are as Argentinian as anyone else. The "Welsh" towns have people from all over the country (and other countries too), not only Welsh. And two small details you seem to completely ignore: first, the Welsh region is just tiny compared to the size of the whole Patagonian region. It would be hard to justify a claim on Tierra del Fuego, or Even Santa Cruz, lmao. Second, and a lot of Patagonia is in Chile. Go ask them how they feel about a your claim over Patagonia :'D But hey, most of them really value their ancestry (some a little too much if you ask me - take that as you might). I do agree that this country does nothing for the minority languages, be them form overseas settlers or from the native Amerindians. There are some laws that account for bilingual education, but in practice there is not much done about it.
I speak Welsh, fluently. It was not my first language. My mother is Welsh, my father English, and I was brought up in England. My mother does not speak Welsh; she was of the generation that lost it in the valleys of South Wales. Her parents spoke Welsh as a second language (I am told; I never knew them sadly), but the previous generation was first language, at least on some branches. So I had to learn it. And I did. I use my Welsh daily at work, with some members of staff, and students. I use it as and when I can out and about. But sometimes it takes effort; it's always easier to speak in English to someone you haven't met before, rather than risk a "I don't speak Welsh" reply, which can sometimes be said in a none-too-pleasant way. Having Welsh is a distinct advantage in Wales, for many reasons. Jobs (frequently advertised as "Welsh an advantage"), socially, understanding the whole of the culture, the known benefits of bilingualism in general. I often visit the Outer Hebrides, where the Gaelic language is in decline. I have theories as to why Welsh is doing better than Gaelic. These come down to: 1. Gaels are not fighting for their language. For example, road signs are in English only (place names may be bilingual, but for example "Road works" never is). Such signs would not survive long on a Welsh road; at least, not in my part of Wales. 2. Gaels switch to English to "accommodate the foreigner" (as it was put to me once by someone I asked, who talked to a Gaelic friend about a matter that did not concern me, in English - "well, you were here, so it was to be polite"). Welsh tend not to do this. If a conversation does not concern a nearby English speaker, they will happily talk in Welsh. 3. The Gaels do not appear to have the same pride in their language. Maybe this is because the alternative is a distinctively Scottish form of English, which is something Scots are proud of, and so it is seen as an acceptable alternative. The same doesn't apply in Wales to the Welsh English accent. I'd be interested to hear what others think of my theories. A chofiwch ateb yn y gymraeg os 'dych chi eisiau :) Google translate works for Welsh! (sort of)
I am from a village in the centre of Spain and I have always been surprised by the word "Basca" as a synonym for Anxiety, Disquiet or Restlessness used in these small villages and by country people like my grandmother. I was surprised to discover that this word is Celtic and comes from "waskā", in Welsh "gwâsg" and Breton "gwask". The last of a Celtiberian language extinct almost 2 millennia ago
I'm from Cardiff so one of the most English bits of Wales and it's rare to hear people speaking Welsh, maybe like once or twice a month outside school, but everyone knows a bit from school. However, Welsh is taught so differently from other languages it's mad. I barely learnt anything in Welsh whereas French was so much better. I think more needs to be done to teach it better and less repetitively and less focused for the exam, more like French and other foreign languages
I used to live in Bristol and the first time I came to Cardiff, I was surprised to hear two old ladies in a shop speaking what sounded like Arabic! I then realised where I was and that it was Welsh (untrained ear hehe). I actually lived in Cardiff for almost two years a while later, and I knew a fair few Welsh speakers. I love that Wales has such a rich history, and the language definitely needs to be kept alive. I have Breton roots myself, and going to Britanny with my then Welsh partner was interesting - the place names are quite similar, for instance Landivisiau, which is just missing one L to make it Welsh ;)
It is the same situation in Irish schools learning Irish, kids become disengaged from the language and lose interest. From my own experiences and that of my parents experiences there is a lot of focus on grammar drills and learning things off by heart, sometimes without even knowing the meaning. After 13 years of learning there's still so many people with only basic knowledge because of this. When we learn foreign languages later on they're fresh, different, we watch movies in that language, learn about the culture, we engage in conversation more and in the space of 5 or 6 years we are at an intermediate level. Having said that of course there are a lot of people reviving the language and I myself am learning it again, i think the number of people speaking it fluently is definitely improving.
Geraint, I had exactly the same experience in school. I dropped Welsh after two years because it made no sense the way it was being taught and did French instead which like you found relatively easy. Probably one of my worst decisions. Funnily I was listening to the Breton nation anthem which was adopted from the Welsh. It was a French UA-cam channel and it had the words on the screen in Breton with the French underneath. I found myself translating from the French. I was a dunce at school when it came to languages (60 years ago ) but it's still there. I wish that I knew as much Welsh as I do French. If you haven't heard the Breton national anthem I would recommend looking it up. Heartwarming if like me you are Welsh.
THANK YOU OMG PAUL THIS IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS GIFT!!!!!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE BEEN WAITING SO LOOOOOONG PAUL I LOVE YOU
Answer to the question of the day : I live in the western part of Brittany, France, where breton has been spoken from the 5th century onwards (side note : the eastern part of this region later spoke Gallo, a latin influenced language that is intelligible with french but not with breton) I started to learn it in Middle school, as my third language, but there was no teacher in high school to continue so I didn't speak it for three years and forgot most of it. I recently started to learn it again, this time on my own, and I'm hooked! I try to speak it as much as I can with my only remaining grandmother, who's fluent, and my father who speaks it pretty well. I use it more everyday This language is really valuable to me, as it is closely bonded with our past history of being farmers (my father is one as well). I sadly started too late to have a proper accent, but I am wishing to raise my future kids in breton as their native language, and they will be able to pick up the accent from my father To all of you living in such a celtic region, please learn the language, and don't listen to people saying it's a "peasant language" or whatever. No government will ever do much to maintain these languages, so it's our responsibility to do so! Mersi bras evit oh labour, hag enor d'ar Gelted!
@@dertdert6190 Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
I was solely Welsh-speaking until my first resentful English lesson at seven years old. I dutifully learned English in lessons and got a B for 'language' and C for Literature in GCE English. However, I didn't mix with English speakers, as my whole area was Cymraeg. Nearest changeover was 4 miles south towards Pontardawe. I left Wales many years ago, and added a couple of European languages to my list. My Welsh went into suspended animation, which turned out to be a good thing, as when I now return to the places of my childhood, Welsh has deteriorated badly: people forget, get used to English speaking settlers and accommodate them, and before you know it, you're speaking English routinely and your Welsh turns to "Wenglish." But my Welsh went to sleep in its prime, and, like riding a bicycle, it resurfaces in that pure form. Ridiculously, my Welsh is less contaminated than the ones who stayed put!
I have no more resources to learn Welsh. I live in the U.S.. only UA-cam. open to suggestions or recommendations that are viable. It's my heritage and hate to see it lost in the winds of time
I'm a proud welsh speaker, my language is vital to my welsh identity. I live in west wales and here it's spoken all around by the majority of locals, which warms me every time!
I'm from Wales and I learnt Welsh up until i was 16 as a second-language. Unfortunately at the time i thought it was a bit of a joke to learn Welsh since everywhere speaks English and where i grew up in Wales, English was more widely spoken (Pembrokeshire). My family is also half-English and neither of my parents speak Welsh (they only know some basics), so i never had reason to speak it outside of my Welsh class. However, looking back, i wish i had tried harder to really learn Welsh, because it's such an important part of our culture and Welsh identity which makes us distinct from English and England. It's so frustrating when foreigners think Wales is just another county in England and really makes Wales seem insignificant, but having a different language helps to set us apart. I can still read some Welsh and know basic phrases but I want to try and learn it again at some point in the future. Dw'in caru Cymru ~~
Recently discovered I have some ancestors from Pembrokeshire...I was always fascinated with Celtic mythology, specifically that of Wales when I was a kid, but I didn't know I had Welsh ancestors until recently.
@@HijodeGagos Have you learnt much about the Mabinogion and Arthurian legend? That's loads of Welsh folklore :D (though lots of countries claim King Arthur) In fact, I grew up on a street called Merlin's Hill, after Merlin the Wizard :D
I have some Scottish ancestry and currently learning Scottish Gaelic. Language is a very important part of any culture. In my opinion, if a language dies we loose their way of thinking and most of the culture too :-(
I've discovered as I've explored my ancestry how truly many they are that I need to keep alive. Like you I've studied Scottish Gaelic (I also like to refer to it as such and not simply as 'Gaelic'), but also Irish Gaelic (I'm certain calling it "Irish" was something the Norman English invented to divide us), Welsh, French, German (at least the Widdebersch and Pennsilfaanisch varieties), and Slovak. I and my fellow-Americans are lucky that we have such a melting pot. Of course, all of us here try to learn at least a little Spanish because 13% of Estadounidenses do so regularly.
I'm not Welsh but I do live in the UK (Newcastle). I've been teaching myself Welsh for the past few months or so, just on or off to see what it's like and it is really fun to learn! Speaking it is just so beautiful and fluid, it sounds like Elvish!
Scots Gaelic is on the increase again due to investment in Gaelic medium education in primary schools.Glasgow has the largest population of Gaelic speakers outside of the highlands.Its protected in law by the 2008 Gaelic Language Act.
Rachel Taylor I live in Seattle where we have a Gaelic Society called Slighe nan Gaidheal. Given our close proximity to Vancouver B.C. and the many expat Scots who live there, a small, but vibrant community of Gàidhlig speakers of various levels are doing our best to help maintain the language. And, in doing so, we also learn about the native speaking culture. Slàinte mhor agad.
Welsh also spoken in Patagonia- I am a native Welsh speaker,the language is very alive in Gogledd \North Wales,also it is important to note that,there is much variation between North \ South Wales ,and also between regions of Wales,eg Caernarvonshire Welsh is very distinct.The Welsh language movement is still very strong,and has its own political party_Plaid Cymru. The language is very poetic and,poetry plays an important role.eg Eisteddfod,_a gathering promoting arts of all forms,the chairing of the bard (bard whom judged to have written the best poem),is a very important part of the Eisteddfod.
I've been studying Gàidhlig for about a year now, after finding out that I am mostly of Scottish descent. Learning materials are sparse, and living in America makes it more challenging to learn, but I find it incredibly valuable because it's one way for me to get in touch with my roots.
Irishman here, I speak Irish outside of school with a few people I know, chiefly my da and one or two friends. Aside from the historical and cultural value of the Irish language, which in my opinion make it worth speaking and promoting on their own merit, the language is great to know simply because it allows you to understand ireland on a whole new level, from everything to place names and understanding hiberno-english better. Plus you never know when or where you'll meet someone who speaks it. Even those who don't use it often can make use of it to keep foreigners (or other Irish people) out of conversations. Handy to know for that alone! I would also add that more than 80'000 people speak the language activily, it's more like 150,000 to 200,000, the 80,000 number refers to people who speak it natively I think.
When I was younger, my friend and I wanted to learn Irish so we could use it as a code language. Unfortunately, at that time language learning materials were harder to come by than they are today so we never managed to do so. I still would love to go back to learning it one day
I'm Irish but embarrassingly speak far better German than my "native" tongue. However, the little Irish I have is very important to me, even when it comes to things like place name and their meaning. Although many place names have been heavily anglicized their actual meaning is interpret-able to me. This knowledge gives my a deeper bond with my home place.
Welsh is widely spoken today in Trelew, Trevelin, Puerto Madryn, Rawson, Gaiman and many other towns in Chubut province, Argentina. There are programs and music in Welsh on radio and TV and there´s also an important newspaper in Welsh and Spanish, though the editorial, some advertisements and obituaries are also written in English. Eistedfodd is the most important social and cultural event in the whole province.
In many areas especially of North Wales, Welsh is used everywhere regularly on a daily basis, many find it easier to speak in welsh than English , it’s part of the culture, history and daily lives
Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
I am a native Irish speaker and learned both Irish and English at the same time growing up. Although I personally do not struggle with Irish in school, I have noticed that the majority of students dislike the subject as they find it difficult. This is largely due to the Irish course expecting fluency from all students which unfortunately simply isn’t true. While I believe that Irish should definitely be mandatory in schools, it should focus much more on learning the language, at least in primary school, than studying texts in Irish without knowing what you are saying.
Ironic you say that, English medium schools in Wales have the exact opposite problem. They teach you a watered down version of the language that is impossible to use in daily life unless you want to talk about holidays or family members, (I didn't know how to say you are/he is/she is/we are/they are in Welsh until I was 12 and tenses, forget about them!) hence why a lot of English speaking Welsh people get quite aggro about the language and see it as a waste of time. It's something that I thought for years, trained myself out of and now aiming for full fluency :)
@Síofra Loughlin-Bestawros Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
@@kieransawdust Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
@Síofra Loughlin-Bestawros open a map of Scottland and you'll see, scottish called also Albions, but you never read a book in your life, celt-white, open coloured in albanian language, ev-13 halogroup and you'll see the truth, how is possible Albanians have the same group with Brittains when never had immigration from north, only from South, the Celts were Pelasgian tribe, check it
Hello, i'm not from a celtic speaking region, i'm from australia and am of gaeilc decendency. I am learning gealic and using it on a daily basis. fantaiseach fís agus buíochas.
I hope you talk about Irish and Scottish Gaelic's weird spelling systems. I'm sure they make sense if you break them down, but I just can't wrap my head around them.
I agree, right now I am using Duolingo and I am learning Irish out of curiosity and simple interest, but I have noticed at least to my eyes that Medieval Scottish Gaelic seems far easier to read and pronounce than Modern Scottish Gaelic, and Irish is simpler in spelling to an extent.
My four grandparents were native Breton speakers but in the 50’s it was considered a peasants language so they made a point in raising their 8 kids and 3 kids (respectively) in standard Parisian French which they did not speak well at all. Madness.
Oh man, that makes me so sad, the fact they were probably taught in schools to be ashamed of their own ancestral language. 😭 And especially with Breton being such a beautiful language...
@@golden.lights.twinkle2329for the official french labour agency, asking for the breton language skill is a discrimination to french speakers and is then forbidden. But you can ask any non-regional language (german, english, dutch...).
Matheus Castilho Corrêa Well I can only speak from experience and as an Irish person I love the idea of more people learning the language, it really has a beautiful history
I did go to Cornish evening classes with my dad when I was young, but barely remember anything. Most people I've met know maybe a few common phrases in Cornish (mainly festivals), and that's it. I've lived here for 20 years, and have grown quite fond of Cornwall, so really should make an effort to learn the language!
Try listening to the Welsh/Cornish singer Gwenno on UA-cam. She mainly sings in Welsh but has recently released an album in Cornish. (She's very good as well!)
I'm Irish and learning Irish in school currently. While I think it's important for Irish people to try to use more of it outside of Gaeltachts (Irish speaking areas,) the system for learning Irish in school is terrible. I think if the education system was reformed in how it taught Irish, and if more of an effort was made to use cúpla focail (a few words of Irish) outside of school, Irish would flourish in number of speakers.
RawkHawkMcGawk『Deezy』 Am bi thu fhèin a' labhairt na Gaeilge nuair nach eil thu san sgoil? (Tá brón orm - níl Gaeilge na hÉireann agam. Tá Gaeilge na hAlbainn agam.)
***** Tha mi fileanta ann an Gàidhlig na h-Alba, agus dh'ionnsaich mi beagan Gaeilge (tro mheadhann na Gàidhlig!) aig a' cholaiste. Ged a tha mi air a' mhòr chuid dhem chuid Ghaeilge a dhìochuimhneachadh, tha gu leòr agam air fhàgail gus a leughadh (gu ìre!), agus an uair sin freagairt a sgrìobhadh sa Ghàidhlig agam fhìn! 😂 Bu toil leam Gaeilge ionnsachadh ceart latha de na lathaichean.
The thing that made me dislike Irish is the way the teachers (I went to a gaeltacht school btw) forced you to speak it. I don't like it because I know that it isn't necessary. Its like an ornament, its nice to look at and nice to have, but it doesn't do anything. It serves no purpose. The only time I find it useful is whenever I want to speak to my mum privately, whenever I'm in Dublin because no one knows what you're saying and that is exactly the point!
Cool video! I learnt Irish all through school but sadly have rarely used it since. I still believe it to be an important part of our culture and history that's definitely worth protecting! Cad é tír gan teanga?
I'm Irish and have been taught Irish in school since childhood and have some proficiency, but haven't used it much outside of education. I'm about 10 years out of school now and am reintroducing myself to it. It may just be in my own social bubble but I am noticing a lot of my peers taking an interest in their language too, I hope this means that we might see an increase in the future. I know for a fact I will undoubtedly send my future kids to a Gaelscoil
Don't know how aware of it you are but Cumbria and the north west of England is regarded as fairly important in Welsh history as it happens. It was the seat of the kingdom of Rheged in 'Yr Hen Ogledd' (or the old north) which produced some of the best and most famous ancient poets of the Welsh language like Aneirin and possibly Taliesin. We might all get forgotten by the conversation dominating south of England but not everyone forgets about you guys!
Gwion Williams Yes And Wales, especially at the end of Rheged played a crucial part of Cumbrian history with the sons of the last king of Rheged, Dunmail (Dwynfal) fleeing to north wales (despite being blinded after the battle of Dunmail Raise)
Robbie Wilkins: Cumbria (Latinised version of Cymru) is of particular importance in our Celtic History and as Gwion rightly says Yr Hen Ogledd stretched into much of Southern Scotland (Kingdoms of Gododdin, Rheged and Strathclyde) and Yorkshire (Kingdom of Elmet).Your counting system is still recognisable as Welsh as I am sure are many of your retained dialect words. As sheveck cadwallader points out, you truly are our fellow countrymen and true Cumbrians should be proud of that just as are Cornishmen (Mebyon Kernow).
I've a little scéal for ye, thought it was interesting enough to share. As an Irish fellow from the east coast (which traditionally has been more Anglicised than the West), I'd agree with the other comments that the method for teaching Irish in schools is miserable and needs to change, if the language is ever going to keep up with the times. My sister and I both went to a Gaelscoil, so we both speak it pretty well and will often have short exchanges in the language, but nothing fantastic. One thing I found particularly interesting last summer, I was in France (Brittany actually, funnily enough) with a bunch of Rover Scouts (all like 16-22 or so) for an international event. Over there we met loads of people from across Europe who all spoke their own languages amongst themselves, and very quickly I noticed my Irish friends and I started attempting to speak to each other in Irish, even those that hated learning it in school, just so as to fit in and not be the only monoglots in the room. I think if Irish people didn't spend all their time focused on American and British media and saw the attitude continental Europe has towards bilingualism, we might be a bit more inclined to pick it up ourselves.
Eoin H I agree with you totally! Whenever we go to Spain my bro and I always end up speaking Irish (especially when we're talking about someone in the room! 😅) because you never know who speaks English! 😂
Eoin H I've noticed I do that. They say the Irish speak more Irish abroad than they do in Ireland! and I completely agree with you, the Irish teaching system really needs a re-jig if it's going to survive
I'm from a village in North Wales. Welsh was the first language I spoke as a small child, I only spoke a little English until I went to Nursery School. I was taught through the medium of Welsh throughout my education until I left school. In my area, my bilingualism allowed me many more job opportunities than my monoglot friends.
Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
Irish is my first language. English is my day to day language but I read poetry and listen to songs in Irish all the time. I have access to Irish radio and TV via the internet which I enjoy often. When I speak to family members at home we speak in Irish.
I feel like this would be too broad. They just don't have enough in common to cram them into one video. Unless you want to talk about Quechua, Nahuatl, Navajo and tons of language isolates at once despite of each of them pretty much deserving their own video.
Serbs and Celts lived together 2000 years ago and we have about 1000 common words, specialy with Welsh language. Save your culture and language at all costs. Geetings from Serbia. 🇷🇸
Lovely, and very academic vid! As to your question, as a Celt, the language is hugely important. It's part of our fabric. Thus, as a university instructor, I always drop a few Welsh phrases about the campus to spark interest. Again, many thanks for the vid. It's very well done!
I can speak welsh and English fluently. I use it daily with some friends and my father. I also use it with my nain (grandmother). Also, it is the main language in school. I believe its existence is imperative to keep Wales’s history and culture.
As many viewers have noted, there are some pronunciation problems with the Irish samples in the video. Click here for a mini-video containing new and improved Irish audio samples with more authentic pronunciation: ua-cam.com/video/OP91sCommJw/v-deo.html
(it's about 30 seconds long). Thanks!
***** I see that the guy I replied to deleted his comment when he realised he's wrong. Hahaha!!!
I am so glad you got someone to fix that! Is lack of accent and mistakes instantly annoyed me.
+Adam Wyse Literally every source I referenced uses the term "British Isles" to refer to both Britain and Ireland. Maybe you disagree with that, but I'm not sure what I can do about it. I'm certainly not the one deciding these things.
Adam Wyse It is actually. Its not part of Britain however.
The Light Bearer 1969 Is this reply aimed at me? If so I know I didn't invent the names, they were there before me. But I understand them.
I speak Welsh.
Today I was in a pharmacy in Aberystwyth. I initially spoke to the lady behind the counter in English. Then, hearing her Welsh accent and seeing her name badge (a Welsh name), I asked her if she spoke Welsh. She did, so we continued in Welsh.
Why did I start in English? Because the previous time I had been into that pharmacy, I spoke in Welsh first. The man behind the counter said to me, in a condescending way, "Could you say that in French" (which I then did ... that's beside the point - and actually didn't help matters, as I don't think he understood that either).
Part of the problem with Welsh at the moment is not that people don't speak it, but that many of those who don't speak it also do not respect it. And that discourages its use.
A note on your figures for the number of Welsh speakers: the 508,000 comes I think from the 1991 census. It is higher than that now.
Poor Welsh, it’s (like all Celtic languages) Beautiful!
as a filthy englishman, I've never encountered a sense of distaste toward any of the gaelic languages (other than the odd joke of it sounding like a seizure)
Mae'n brill dy fod yn gallu ateb e yn Ffrangeg!
I have heard that the greatest number of Welsh-speakers are in the northwestern parts of the country. I would like to ask if this is true, and if so, can one go into a store or ask someone for the time, etc. and take it for granted that one will be understood?
There are around the same amount of Welsh speakers in the north and south but there are less people in the north so it's more likely to come across someone who can speak Welsh. I couldn't give you an answer on wether you could because I live in the south but I reckon you probably could.
I'm a Sardinian living in Ireland.. once I expressed my interest on learning Gaelic to my Irish landlord, and he got so mad that he almost insulted me, literally calling Irish Gaelic "rubbish". He went on stating that his children better don't waste time learning Irish, and that they should spend that time learning French, just in case they travel to France on holidays one day! It was really depressing! Recently, some customers in a restaurant in Cork, Ireland, complained about an employee who was speaking Gaelic, so the restaurant manager forbid all employees to speak Gaelic, despite it's the Official language of the Republic of Ireland! Sooo depressing!
Tziu Ricky Incredible!
Tziu Ricky I remember that when I worked in a big restaurant in the Basque Country my boss asked to me to give advising by speakers about wrong parked cars. He "asked" (allways in Basque) to do it only in Spanish, but I allways did first in Basque and second in Spanish.
Mikel Arana Etxarri
Hello my Basque friend! That's despicable that he wanted you to speak in Spanish first. However, in your country you are still lucky! In Sardinia if you speak the Sardinian language in public, most people would freak out and call you impolite or "a rude shepherd / retrograde caveman". Even more strange, girls / women are the ones that hate the language the most, so they forbid it to their chlidren and force them to speak only Italian. I'm glad my grandparents couldn't speak Italian and I spent a lot of time with them, otherwise I wouldn't even know how to speak my own language.
***** That's so sad. People are ignorant about their own cultural heritage; then tears will come, when gone with the wind.
Sounds like you encountered some "west brits" as we like to call them.
I was born in Wales, but was not allowed to speak or learn my own language druing the 1950s. As an adult, now living outside Wales, I have tried to learn Welsh, but find it difficult. I feel a great loss at not having my own language and instead having had to use English instead.
A significant community of Welsh speakers, including bilingual Spanish-Welsh schools, exists in Patagonia, Argentina.
I'm trying to learn Cymraeg with Duolingo & Say Something in Welsh. The last one i found especially helpful because you get to speak Cymraeg. As you are in the UK you can use the S4C & BBC sources that i on the continent have no access to. There also are Cymraeg speaking groups all over the UK.
Please don't give up, it's too beautiful & needs support, particularly from the rest of the UK.
Cymru am byth!
Hey it's not your fault man and there's no shame In it, from what I can see in your comment you're just as much a Welshman as any who speak Welsh. I learned Welsh in school and to be honest I wish I'd learned it later in life as there are so many English words I simply don't know, it's quite awkward when you're discussing a scientific topic and someone asks you a simple term and you're left guessing. don't give up on the dream, it might be a challenge and maybe you only pick up a few things but at least you tried your best man and that's all anyone can ever ask of themself. I read up on the Patagonian Welsh interesting stuff really, they have their own version of the Eisteddfod and hen wlad fy nhadau amongst other things.
@@iammcwaffles5514 Good for you, young person. You will inspire a lot of people here.
The times we could say that "Hey Argentina is far more linguisitc tolerant than democratic great britain!"
@@LeafHuntress me to, but its very hard, must be because its different to every language i know (French, Spanish, english)
Hello! I am Catalan, but I have been living in Ireland (Dublin) for two years now. Even if no one speaks Irish in Dublin, I have been studying Irish since I arrived in Ireland and I love it! I will always defend it because I think it deserves all our support. If we don't defend it, it won't survive and I don't want it to go extinct. As a native speaker of a minority language (Catalan) I am very sympathetic towards Irish gaelic. Is breá liom Gaeilge!!!
As a language aficionado, I think that Catalan sounds like the best of Aragonese and Southern French.
mhothaigh mé a lán mothúcháin (mar tírghrá) nuair a léigh mé do ráiteas
The character of Stephen Maturin, in the many seafaring novels of Patrick O'Brian, comes from a Catalan and Irish background. He's a very complex character, deeply intellectual, full of secrets and surprising abilities, doubts and courage.
The other principal character in these novels, Jack Aubrey, is a brilliant naval tactician but not socially sophisticated. So the two characters, put together, make a fascinating study in contrasts and affinities.
I have no idea whether the Maturin character would intrigue or offend you. But O'Brian writes very well, and he is committed to developing these characters, I can say that.
Si limba catalana sunã familiar aici in Romania! Dar sunt interesat si de dialectele celtice.
That is beautiful to hear!
I speak Welsh, it is my first language. I do speak it outside of school. I think that being able to speak Welsh is part of my culture. It is important as it is part of my social culture and can benefit me in the sense that knowing 2 different languages will benefit my way of thinking.
I
It can also benefit in other ways, as an official language of the UK you have the right to use it. I had a friend at an English university whose first language was Welsh who the university had to give extra time to in exams as the were unable to mark them in Welsh so he had to do them in English (despite the fact that he had had to sit most of his high school exams in English at his school in Wales but got no extra time there).
Ardderchog !
+Pomp Mag Unfortunately Welsh only has official status within Wales (and that's despite areas of Shropshire still supporting Welsh language communities), so that story is most likely untrue.
Mae Iwerddon yn mynd yn annibynnol !!
@@PerriririMae Iwerddon eisoes yn annibynnol. Ond am y chwech sir, wrth gwrs.
I'm a Breton native speaker. Thank you for your video! I have been raised in Breton and sent to a Breton school as well. I use the language in my daily life (so many parts of the Internet have been translated to Breton over the past years), with my friends and family. I do not imagine my life without this language. Even though French has became the dominating language in Brittany, the Breton language is now a reason of pride while it used to be a reason of shame during the two past centuries. I want to be optimistic, seeing the growing number of people learning the language and the development of Breton in the public spaces. The biggest threat to the Breton language is now, in my opinion, no longer the French language, but rather the way it can be taught. Teaching a language is not enough to save it (see the example of Latin). It has to live in the lives of people on a daily basis :-)
Scottish Gaelic is also on Duolingo.
Arbennik:)
Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
T'as raison. Je suis en train de préparer un exposé sur les langue minoritaire en France et je trouve dommage qu'il y ait autantes de cultures qui sont subtilement discriminés par la société. Même s'il y a quelques efforts de renforcer les langues régionales, on ne peut pas nier qu'un usage "approprié" et préféré par beaucoup de locuteurs natifs du francais
Le problème que j'ai avec l'apprentissage du Breton, c'est que c'est trop "vieux jeux", même sur Internet. Il y a peu de ressources et peu de ces ressources sont "intéressantes" pour les nouvelles générations, selon moi. C'est une langue très difficile à apprendre, mais pour les mauvaises raisons et cela devrait changer ! Même les initiatives pour l'enseigner sont rares ou peu accessibles, que cela soit dans Paris ou vers la Bretagne elle-même.
I am a native Welsh speaker from North Wales. All of my family and most of my local community speak Welsh. I find it very valuable to speak Welsh because it's a vital part of my life, the community I live in and the history of Wales. "Cenedl heb iaith yw cenedl heb galon" (A nation without a launguage is a nation without a heart). I very much hope the Welsh language survives and thrives in the years to come and that we'll meet the goal of a million Welsh seakers by 2050 set out by the Welsh government.
Da iawn , a fi hefyd
It seems like it’s doing well. I hope it continues.
The same saying in Irish goes, “Tír gan teanga, tír gan chroí.”
Mitzqua Nó Tír gan teanga, Tír gan anam.
There are a number of college students in Provo, Utah, USA each semester that are learning to speak and read in welsh! We are helping to keep it alive! Er gwaetha pawb a phopeth, rin ni yma o hyd!!
Unfortunately it isn't that these languages are simply "dying off." They were actively suppressed for centuries, along with all sorts of cultural practices, and people were punished for using their own languages. Even now, the culture is such that these languages are often put down, and the difficulty in trying to use them more broadly helps reinforce the original colonial attempt to wipe them out. It is really a lot like the policies in Canada that tried to totally wipe out First Nations languages and cultures.
Language really influences how we see and understand the world, which is why languages become targets for those who want to control others.
Agreed. Half my neighbours are Cree, Saulteaux or Metis. Very few of the younger generations can speak their ancestral languages. For that matter I only know a few words of Scots Gaelic.
While it’s true celtic nations were suppressed and aided in their linguistic destruction, it’s not too late to bring them back. Learn the language of your choice and have at least 3 kids to ensure linguistic survival. We can do this
Mostly England's fault
@@haltdieklappe7972 yeah we need to be the foundation, so the next generation can have an easier time learning these language, thankfully even since this video slot of work has been done
@@calumpatrick319 the only real way to ensure a smaller language’s survival is by having lots of kids so that you essentially create native speakers. The people that want these languages to survive but aren’t willing to have kids are the reason the language is dying
I come from Brittany. I understand few cornish or welsh words because our own celtic languages have similar brythonic roots. For exemple, to say "Merry Christmas" in Brittany, we say "Nedeleg Laouen". In Cornwall it say "Nadelik Lowen" and in Wales it say "Nadolig Llawen". We have to fight to keep our languages alive.
🏴🇮🇪🇮🇲Celtic United🏴==➕
Fascinating, there is a Norwegian word Nydelig, meaning wonderful. I wonder if that is related to the word you show in different Celtic languages here.
@@MarkusHolst1960 👍.
Nedeleg/Nadelik/Nadolig mean "Christmas" and Laouen/Lowen/Llawen mean "Merry" or "happy".
Nollaig Shona in Irish Gaelic
@@gachrudgaelach 👍
@@jesseloquen te zo an vrezhoneg ?
I'm Cornish, can say it's being taught in schools again here thankfully.
That's pretty cool, not many languages have been brought back from extinction
Cornwall should definitely be devolved from England so that it's status as a former country is recognized.
@@jackalnerf6230 It'll never happen, it's seen as a fundamental part of England...
@@Jellygamer0 I know, but I still think it should happen ideally.
@@Jellygamer0 well the cornish identity seem to be growing. Every year more and more school students identify as ethnically cornish, and with the language the cornish culture is staying strong.
I'm irish and live in Australia now. I met a Breton French man and was surprised to find out he felt strong ties to Ireland and had learned some Gaeilge himself!
@reechart How much do they understand it? I suppose it should be way less than Welsh
Breton is completely different to Gaelic. It is closest to Cornish (mutually intelligible) and then Welsh (not mutually intelligible).
Dia is Muire dhuit
Ive met several Bretons and Basques abroad who felt an affinity with Ireland but many Irish people outside of the Irish speaking community would have little knowledge of these cultures.
I'm a fluent Irish speaker from Belfast and I speak Irish everyday outside the education system.
im german and im learning some irish on duolingo :)
@@thenewhope8171 :) keep going man
@@thenewhope8171 Good luck with that 😀
I gave up months ago. They have no expenation on how to pronounce the words. It is really frustrating not to be able to read properly.
@@afterought6275 Don't give it up, Duo is somewhat good for practicing, but it musnt be your main resource. I'm learning it, all of it through the internet, and I'm in Mexico. I can point you out to resources if you want
@@carloseduardojimenez7656 would you mind sharing your irish language resources? :)
As an English speaker, I want the Celtic languages to increase.
@Fnord Fnordington Yes in whole of the uk but not in Wales where Welsh is doing very well thank you
@iuvenis animo Poles are not going to make you a minority in your own country at your expenses.
@@alcurtis93 Some people learn languages just out of personal interest in culture or literature
@@alcurtis93Sad that some people think that languages somehow have to be 'useful' in the world! Language is a part of your identity, hence the historic way that the 'enemy' forced the conquered to learn their languages, and in many cases made it illegal to use their own. I am always wound up when I read comments that treat language as merely some kind of tool. Also, there is a sense that you can't do both. I love Russian, and learn it for that purpose, because I have little use for it. I also took the opportunity to learn Welsh. Yes, I have Welsh ancestry, but I learn it because it is a beautiful language.
@@silvamayflower you're right. I've deleted my comment :)
Hey! I'm from Brittany (Bretagne in French). Very true, even my grandparents don't speak Breton for the simple reason they were forbidden to do so ever since school. It was considered as a "dirty" or "peasant" language. Plus, French Republic has always shitted on regional languages since the Revolution, because "the only language of the Republic is French"! Yeah, the Declaration of Men's Rights quickly was thrown to the trash. All of my family is from Brittany yet (as far as I know) only one cousin of mine speaks it. We now have Diwan schools, bilingual road signs and regional TV&radio channels but everyone speaks in French.
Gallout a rez deskiñ Brezhoneg :) Tu peu apprendre le breton :) Je sais pas ou tu vie donc j'aurais du mal a te conseiller mais par exemple a paris il y a la mission bretonne qui donne des cours de breton, en Bretagne i y a la licence de Breton a rennes 2 et a L'UBO a brest. Il existe aussi les formations 6 mois (accessible a tous ), ou encore la possibilité d'essayer avec des méthodes je conseille personnellement celle de Marc kerain " Ni a gomz Brezhoneg" et pour compléter on recherche pas mal de licencié, Dons pour ceux qui veulent du boulot et près a bouger un peu en Bretagne c'est un bon plan :)
Rétablissez la Monarchie en France. Si les Bretons se sont battus contre les Républicains pendant la Révolution (révolte des Chouans), c'est parce que la République avait pour mission de détruire TOUTES les cultures et coutumes régionales.
En tant que Québécois, je voudrais un Roi en France pour remplacer la Reine d'Angleterre. On n'est pas Anglais ici donc Elizabeth II peut rester reine dans le reste du Canada mais PAS au Québec 😣
Les rois de France n'ont pas aidé les Bretons. Quand la monarchie a été rétablie après la révolution, la politique de destruction des langues régionales s'est continuée sans interruption.
Ya d'ar Brezhoneg !
Interesting :--)
Here in Wales we were forbidden to Speak Welsh (Cymraeg) by the English....
Also "Wales" is not a nice term....it was a name used to describe us...it means outsiders or something....our Country is called Cymru.
:--)!
Haven’t seen many Scots in the comments so here’s my take: I speak English as my first language and speak almost fluent Scottish Gaelic. I am aware that in the Highlands and Hebrides it is quite common to speak Gaelic but living in a large(ish) city, where most of the Scottish population is, I truly never hear it around. Scottish Gaelic truly is a beautiful language and it deeply disheartens me to see it die out. If the government does not even try to save it, it is already dead
Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
No government can save a language if there is no reason to learn it.
That's because unlike in Ireland (and indeed Wales with Welsh) Gaelic was never a universally spoken language in what is now Scotland, being mainly confined to the west of Scotland, where the Dalriadan Irish settled. The language never really penetrated east over the Grampian Mountains to a massive degree, where the Picts spoke a different Celtic language (sadly now lost). The Eastern Picts had quite a bit more interaction with their Anglo-Saxon neighbours to the south who of course spoke English so it became a bigger influence on that part of Scotland. So by the time the Gaels to power over Pictland (Kenneth I), and Acotland was formed, Gaelic was the language of court, but English had become the language of the plebs in Eastern Alba
I speak Scottish Gaelic and was a bit disappointed that there were no examples of it in the video, but I so thoroughly enjoyed it! I am not a native speaker, but am passionate about it and plan to move to Scotland in order to help the wonderful people who are keeping the language alive. I also plan on helping to establish a Braille code in Scottish Gaelic. Even within the 2 language groups, intelligibility is limited when listening to spoken language, but is better when reading. I do hope we continue our efforts to keep those beautiful, endangered languages alive.
A bheil thu bho na h-eileanen siar?
You guys really need to be independent cuz I'd dislike to see another amazing country lose its culture because of English again
Snog!
Sgonneil 😄
Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
Don't let the Celtic languages die!
It's hard for small languages to survive in this increasingly globalized and anglofied world
Not in Wales. 500,000 speakers in a country of 3 million people and up to 800,000 in total that can either speak fluent or know bits of Welsh.. The Welsh language is growing in Wales and the Welsh parliament has set a target of getting up to a million people in Wales speaking Welsh fluently with in the next 25 years. The only reason why Welsh declined is because England made it illegal.
justcarcrazy in the movie "Brave" the lullaby "Noble Maiden Fair" has Scottish Gaelic lyrics, and especially with the language's current status I think that is so important.
William Llwyn thats great, i hope you can try for independence too
@celtic dread the welsh sometimes "Hate" the English. in history, I was taught that all English people were slimy, wretched piles of sewage, I was even taught that english was the language of the devil.
Hi Paul, I'd like to add some info, while in Europe Welsh is declining here in Argentina that's not the case, you see in the last years in the Argentinian Province of Chubut the number of Welsh speakers is increasing and it's officialy considered as the second languge. The reasons of Welsh people in Chubut are several and started in XIX Century but the brif story is that the Argentinian Government needed to populate the region and some Welsh people wanted to scape from the English tyranny which forced them to change their langueage and costum. Actually now there are decendents who speak and teach the lenguage and it's even taught in public schools. I am so sorry to make you read my awful English! Blwyddyn newydd dda!
+DdraigGochArg Thanks for the info! Don't worry, your English seems almost perfect.
I notice that your avatar is the Welsh flag. Do Welsh-speakers in Argentina closely identify with Wales?
Langfocus I'm from Chubut too, and my school's headmasters is a Welsh descendant. She once told me that the Welsh community here has some traditional things that don't exist anymore in Wales.
***** I participated in the Eisteddfod in my local city! But I recited some kind of poem from Argentina, I don't remember, haha. I do remember that some people were speaking Welsh during the day, and since then, I wanted to learn Welsh just because I liked how it sound. I'll try to do my best next year.
WOW, you learn something new everyday! I knew during 1700-1900 Germans, Irish did alot of immigrating to South and Central Americas but I didn't look into all the other European immigrant groups. Spain and Portugal is just a given as to large populations relocating.
I am Argentinian too (Buenos Aires), and I am happy to know that Welsh it's really strong in chubut. Also we have a few towns around the country where German it's widely spoken, and several descendants communities where their languages are still being used, as Chinise, Korean, Armenian, Hebrew, Ukrainian, etc
I am half Armenian and half German, so, at the end, Argentina It's multicultural country and that makes us rich.
Espero poder viajar pronto a Gaiman y Trevelin, Ia Patagonia es tremenda, saludos desde caba y me alegro de ver que Otros compatriotas siguen este canal.
Gosh! Langfocus is one of the most interesting channels I've come across on UA-cam.
The only problem I have being a fan of Paul's is trying to decide which language to study next. He makes them all seem so interesting!
@@dhatchbernier Do you know where is he from?
@@josealjndro He is from Canada 🇨🇦 but, now he lives in Japan 🇯🇵.
When I travelled to Llanfairengogogoch in 2010, the whole town was speaking Welsh, everyone on the streets of all ages, and English was only used when we approached them in English.
Yes thats due to the two counties run by the Welsh political party 'Plaid Cymru' of Yns Mon (Anglesey) and 'Gwyneth' in N West Wales have Welsh speaking only schools so we all speak Welsh, and use English by De fault only.
@@RhysapGrug ynys mon* Gwynedd*
@@andyh6849 it's my phone has no Google translate plus if I write I'm Welsh for some reason it don't recognise the word so changes it for, at times I forget to do a word check.
But you seem to know what saying.
No da.
I adore the Celtic languages. Sure, the Germanic and Romance languages are great and all, but there is really nothing quite like languages like Irish or Welsh.
I find most Germanic and Romance languages to be overrated.
@watergod 83 I actually really dislike all Romance languages except Italian (and latin)
Martial Kintu the Romance languages are overrated to hell and back, no doubt, but the Germanic languages really aren’t nearly as overrated and some like Icelandic and Faroese even get overlooked in their own right but yeah overall they’re still not as underrated as Celtic languages, I’ll give you that.
As someone who speaks a romance language I'd have to say that Spanish is the language for me
diolch, mae nhwna dda I ty I dwuaed.
In the Patagonia, Argentina, there's an important community of Welsh speakers, they came some centuries ago
Porth Madryn. Justamente tenia prejuntas sobre los Gales de Patagonia
There's a city called Gaiman in the Chubut province where everything is Welsh
i just wrote the same!!! welcome celtic people here, were they coexist very pacific way(not as a british empire..malvinas are argentinas!!!) with tehuelches, natives people. As an argentine with roots from italy and spainlikemayority peoplehere i wish more celtic people here-- welcome!!!
The loss of these languages is similar to the loss of some Native American Languages. It's sad when a language dies.
well irish was straight up killed but its natural normally
@@EannaWithAFada Yeah, all of these languages were persecuted, that's the worst part for me and why I speak Scots Gaelic.
Even though I don't know any of these languages, and only speak Arabic, English and French, PLEASE people who speak any Celtic languages PLEASE do not let it go extinct. Teach it to your children or your class, or family and impress your friends by saying a sentence in Gaelic so you can teach them. TBH, Celtic is a very beautiful language, and the culture intrigues me. I wish to learn in later years, from anyone who sees this comment.
I speak Persian, English, and German. Welsh is going to be my fourth language. I'm even thinking about continuing my education at Cardiff University so I can practice Welsh more. I adore the culture and the language so much.
If you speak Arabic, then learning a Celtic language will be a bit easier for you since the Celtic and Semitic languages have some striking grammatical similarities. LangFocus actually made a video about it.
YEEE
I speak irish with my parents, particularly when abroad as no one can understand you. My grandad was a native irish speaker who only learned english when he started school, and had amazing irish. The english tried to stamp out the language in an attempt to eliminate irish culture entirely but it held on, and i think it's incredibly important that we hold on to it. I think if all schools in Ireland were gaelscoileanna we would save the language. I cant imagine it ever being the only language but i think our society could become bilingual.
Also, fhear and fhir were pronounced wrong. It is pronounced like the two consonants at the sentence beginning vanished. So instead of 'fear' being pronounced 'far', it's pronounced 'are' when spelled 'fhear'
Ya i mean if don't speak it outside school thats their business,but at least the state has done its best. yallawy
I agree, its very hard upstand a language if you never actually speak it, and the only time you ever use the language is in when learning it and when you are tested on it
I really find myself quite attracted to the Celtic culture, it is so beautiful and rad , so I decided to learn that sacred language ,hope you Irish people keep holding to it , your culture is wonderful , so is your land , not to mention the music , I love jigs and reels .
YellawayHD ...and by "the English" I'm guessing you mean the aristocracy and their direct subordinates?
It'd be like if an IRA bomb went off, and people went around saying it was "The Irish".
The ordinary people of England/Britain had no say in the matter, and were oppressed the same as everyone else.
Dear Celtic speakers, your languages are your identities, don't go behind English use it as tool for communicating with foreign speakers.Use your language everyday and bring to the next genertions. I sad to hear most Celtic go extinction. Love from Sri Lankan Tamil.
* I love Celtic music, especially Scottish
I have actually started putting all of my STRAVA cycle rides as Gaeilge. I have other users who are following me from different parts of the world who will see the Irish being used. I also make up new Strava "segments" in my local area and give them all Irish place names too :)
Thank you for the post though, and from such a far away place too.
I am Irish, and my son is half Tamil :)
@Anglia Alba Yes it is. Gaelic was even spoken in the lowlands at its peak (Middle Ages - post 10th century). Only the border areas and Lothian during the dark ages were part of that Northumbrian kingdom. So not even a third of the country. The fiefdom of Strath Cluth next to it was a Bretonnic one in the southwest of Scotland. The language of Gaelic became dominant when the kingdom of Dal Riada became influential. The Picts basically gaelicised themselves. It's not sure the Picts spoke a Bretonnic language before that (no written language left), as in that Pictish would have been a Bretonnic language related to Cumbric (extinct) and Welsh. Then again it certainly had nothing to do with English. The Old Saxons (invaded Britannia in the 5th century) didn't have that much of an influence in and on Scotland until Norman occupation, and the merging into the pidgeon tongue and culture Anglo-Saxon would become from the 11th century onwarth. Gaelic was still very much thriving up untill the 15th century in Scotland (language of Royal court and law). After that it went into decline through various antagonistic measures that were taken towards it by Scots (Inglis) lowlanders who thought to have "bettered" themselves having completely Anglicised. By which time Gaelic had receded to Highland and Island culture and clans alone. The term 'Scotti' itself is a reference to the Irish and thus Celtic culture that became dominant after the 8th century. Only after it became antagonised it starting being referred to as 'Erse' and an "inferior" language belonging to the "savage" clans as the Anglicised lowlands and nobility made that part of the propaganda against it. It was doomed after the Act of Union and treated very badly as it was solely associated from then onward with the Jacobite movement. From placenames to every token symbol monolingual Scots still wield today as typically Scottish (bagpipes, kilt (the big one, not the adapted smaller kilt you see today), haggis (unlike what a knobhead like Jeremy Paxman claims some English woman invented because it was mentioned in a cookbook), whiskey (Uisge Bheag)) are basically from that Goidelic culture. So yes, Scotland is a Celtic nation, but also an Anglo-Saxon one, and a Bretonnic one. Scotland isn't one thing, and never has been historically.
i just wrote the same!!! welcome celtic people here, were they coexist very pacific way(not as a british empire..malvinas are argentinas!!!) with tehuelches, natives people. As an argentine with roots from italy and spainlikemayority peoplehere i wish more celtic people here-- welcome!!!
@Anglia Alba demonstrably untrue. That was just the south, and then it was only for a short time.
Anglia Alba Rubbish. DNA tests show that there are over 100 different notable ethnic groupings in Scotland with Anglo-Saxon accounting for only 10% There are far more Norse, Celtic, Briton, Pictish DNA amongst Scots.
I speak welsh and speak it with my family and most lf my friends. It is definately one of the most valuable things we have in Wales (Cymru)🏴.
I've started to learn Cymraeg on duolingo. Very interesting how you Celtic people use VSO instead of SOV just like most of Indo-Eouropeans. Bore da, and greetings from 🇵🇱
I'm French. A friend of the family was a Breton who'd served in the Free French naval forces (FNFL) during WW2. He was stationed in the UK.
He told us it was great to meet Welsh sailors, because he and the other Breton speakers could speak to them and more or less understand each other. "It was great, we couldsay what we liked. Rubbish the officers in front of their noses, they didn't understand a word we were saying!".
Lucky for them there were no officers called Llewelyn or Le Goff !
As a native Welsh speaker I've never studied the grammar before. I was surprised when you pointed out the vowel mutations as I never considered them as mutations before. Very interesting video! Diolch yn fawr! As for the QOTD, I find it sad that the Welsh language, or languages in general, are only considered valuable in so far as they have 'currency' or 'purchase', ie. career opportunities, social mobility. I think this contributes to the decline of Welsh as many Welsh people would rather learn a language such as French which is more widely spoken and enables them to move to a more prosperous country. I use Welsh every day with my friends and family, and have even studied my University degree in some parts through the medium of Welsh. There are many people working hard to revive these Celtic languages, and there are lots of studies about how immigration can revitalise the Welsh language! Through that I hope Welsh can become a more vibrant language in a tolerant and plural Wales rather than 'yr hen iaith' as it's known. There's much work to be done but it is an interesting part of politics here in Wales! Thanks again!
Tirion Kerr I'm from Denmark, and I'm trying to learn Welsh. I love Celtic stuff and I want to go to Wales one day!
Tirion Kerr So basically you want the indigenous to go extinct
O bydded i'r hen iaith parhau.
@disturbedpentaholic you will love wales. I live in south Wales and the weather is always predictable with cold rain or drizzle barely snows. Basically like heaven.
Trysatron 3000 Sounds amazing.
Welsh speaker from Cardiff, brought up in Welsh schools and taught all subjects through the Welsh language.
Being a Welsh speaker is part of my identity and the ability to sing my national anthem gives me a sense of pride as well as that my language has survived. YMA O HYD
I live in Wales and I speak Welsh every day with huge pride. Welsh is my mother tongue. I speak it at home with my parents and siblings. I speak it with my friends in and outside of school. My hope is to go to university to study through the medium of Welsh. I don’t feel my English is the best as I rarely speak it. However, I hear it all the time. I.e. the wider community, the media, tv, social media etc. It’s my privilege to speak Welsh and I feel, as many Welsh speakers do, it is my duty to look after it as so many generations of my family have despite all the obstacles they had to face. You might want to google ‘the Welsh Not’ as 1 example. Diolch yn fawr.
I wish this was me only with Scottish Gaelic.😔
Even in today's age of you tell someone (usually an elder in the lowlands) that you are learning Scottish Gaelic, they take the piss. Like I'm meant to be embarrassed of learning the language of the land.
I would be elated if I was fluent, walked into a shop and we both just speak Scottish Gaelic
English is an invasive garbage that has to be eradicated from Wales. You have any right to study everything in your own country Wales in your mother tongue!
(Scottish) Gaelic is now available on duolingo
Ich bin auch nur ein deustcher, wie geht's?
Yes!!! I am proud to say I have completed the course! Well, I completed what is available, they will be adding more lessons later. Tha Gàidhlig gu math sgoinneil!
@@findlayrobertson4985 That's German, isn't it?
@@rraine4195 I've been learning Scottish gaelic for a couple weeks. Does that say 'Galeic is good and brilliant'?
@@andrewjennings7306 Almost. Gu math together means quite as opposed to good. Scottish Gaelic is quite brilliant.
I'm from Indonesia but I speak Irish Gaelic. My late partner (God rest his soul) was from Gaoth Dobhair and he was a proud speaker of Irish. He taught me Irish even before I could speak fluent English. Strangely enough, even now, my Cornish fiancé would remark in a grumpy tone that I tend to switch to Irish Gaelic whenever I drink too much. Knowing that my fiancé is a Cornish man from Penryn, I started learning Kernewek in Plymouth. I wrote him a love letter in Kernewek and he was like 'WTF?' He did not even know that the Cornish language is still alive (even though so far I only know 3 people who speak Cornish fluently; one of them is my teacher). When I spent a weekend in Machynlleth, a quaint village in North Wales, the lads in a pub asked me to speak Cornish and they were amazed that as Welsh speakers, they could understand what I say to some extent. It was a great night, the bartender gave me a bottle of Penderyn Aur Cymru 'fit for a Celt'.
Malik Dinata Scéal gleoite seo!
Where do you live now Malik?
Kamu masi bisa bahasa indonesia
Wow Malik that's real love, learning Cornish for your lover! And good on you. Good to know the Machy lads liked your Cornish.
Malik Dinata dia duit conas atá tú?
What a genuine delight to know that these languages are being followed and remembered--and to hear examples, as well! We absolutely MUST preserve this human heritage! If we lose our history--which includes our languages--we lose our sense of ourselves as communities and our sense of our direction into the future. Thank you for your important work!
Hi, I'm a native Welsh speaker, and speaking Welsh and passing it on to my children is very important to me.
BTW, there was a small mistake on the video:
"arni" = on her
"arnynt" = on them
(They were the wrong way around on the video)
Yeah, I'm sorry about that. That was an editing error. Somehow I put the two clips in the reverse order on the timeline in the editing software.
Although my family is from Scotland (my dad emigrated from Southern Scotland in his 20s), and I currently live in Nova Scotia, Canada, I keep running into Welsh, of all languages! A favorite book of mine growing up had a Welsh song in it (Howl's Moving Castle), another children's book set in Wales with a ghost in it...I can't remember the name but the last word was "Ffarwél", I lived in Wales for a year while my dad was doing some research there, and the list goes on.
As a result, I've been kinda inspired to learn Welsh. I like the sound of it. But resources here are limited (it's hard enough to learn French here, and it's a national language!) Do you know any good online resources where I might begin to get a crack at it?
Don Raeside The BBC have a good Welsh course on their website. There was also a program called "The Big Welsh Challenge", but I'm not sure if that's accessible outside of the UK.
Howl's Moving Castle is a lot of fun, and singing Calcifer's "funny little saucepan song" is a sure way to raise a smile.
I thought so too. In Breton it is: "warni" = on her. In dialectal English I have heard, "if it is in her to rain, it will rain" . In Breton, the common expression is: ma vé warni d'ober glaw, a rai glaw.
Gwyndaf Parri i am arnynt :)
I love how extinction basically comes from, “no, my language is better. I don’t want to learn yours.”
Tbh yeah 💀💀 that’s basically it.
No, I think extinction basically comes from "Your language provides me with more opportunities than mine does. I want to learn it". Linguistic Darwinism, if you like.
@@istvanglock7445 origionally it most likely came from “Hey, you there, speak my labguage so that I can say I have more land than the rest of these people”
@@istvanglock7445 I agree but another reason is "I am better, my language is better. Unlearn and forget your language for you and your offspring or else"
Governments have historically banned languages that were seen as of low prestige or savage which is why languages become extinct easier
There is an Argentinian province that speaks welsh, even the younger generation
It's called Patagonia... I was about to comment that he missed them out! ;)
It's not really a province, more like a subcontinent.
That province is called Chubut and is in the Patagonia region. It has a huge welsh community.
5000 people isn't much.
There are only half a million people in Chubut, so yes it is.
There is also a Welsh speaking community in Chubut province, in Argentina. Great video, happy holidays!
Esteban Bernal Es una pena que no lo mencionara! Porque es una comunidad bastante importante en muchos aspectos (han nombrado pueblos y ciudades) y aún mantienen viva gran parte de su cultura
Patricio Iasielski Totalmente, siempre me pareció interesante como llegaron esos inmigrantes galeses al sur y mantuvieron su idioma y su cultura en un país tan alejado y tan distinto de su origen, y además siendo tan importantes para el desarrollo de la región en los inicios.
Esteban Bernal- Qué interesante y sorprendiente! Yo nunca sabía eso! Se aprende algo nuevo cada día! ;)
Esteban Bernal yes! Seen a travel show on Argentina and they went there! It was really cool
I also need to mention the amazing Dr Brian Stowell, my old manx teacher. Sadly he died last month and he was one of the key people to seriously resuscitate the language when it was properly on its knees. The last native speaker was Ned Maddrell ( he lived in one of those tiny, 2 room manx, thatched cottages. In fact his house was in the film Waking Ned) if I recall correctly Brian went round and recorded and documented the language from Ned before he died. If he hadn’t of done that it’s likely the language would have died completely. So cheers and RIP to Dr Stowell
I know this was over two years ago, but I gotta commend the guy. Even though I have never met him, I am grateful for the work he has done. Thank you for sharing!
@@jaquequinn7780 I knew Brian as he came round the schools helping set up the Manx GCSE etc. and the Bunscoill Ghaelgagh in St Johns.
He came to Wales and ran a clourse for me in Manx. He was a wonderful humble man with a great love for the Manx language. I am privileged to have known him.
Fi'n dysgu cymraeg! Fi'n byw yn de cymru, es i i ysgol iaith saesneg, felly alla i ddim yn siarad cymraeg yn rhugl eto!
I'm learning Welsh! I live in South Wales, I went to an English language school in Wales so I'm not fluent yet. Taking a course and talking with many fluent locals!
Before I learned Welsh I was lead to believe by the powers that be that it was common/filthy yet somehow complex. It was completely out of the question for me until I started learning Norwegian. Then I realised how important Welsh was to me, my family and country.
I absolutely adore it and my intention is to live a life where I get to speak Welsh everyday.
It has absolutely changed my life for the better
Приємно читати такі коментарі. Я з України, у нас багато людей цураються рідної мови. Тому мені приємно бачити людей, які повертаються до мови своїх предків. Нехай щастить!
Dal ati
I can almost see dragons with this aesthetically pleasing writing!
I don't come from a community where a Celtic language is spoken - I grew up in England, but currently live in one - north Wales. My mother's family are from south Wales and probably spoke Welsh several generations ago, so I've always been interested in Welsh. I started learning it many years ago and now speak it fluently. I also speak Irish fluently and spend a week or two in Donegal in Ireland every summer where I speak as Irish much as possible. My Scottish Gaelic and Manx are reasonably good, and I have a basic knowledge of Cornish and Breton.
I think that people who grow up in communities where a Celtic language is spoken do benefit from being able to speak it, by gaining access to a different culture and community, and helping to keep the language alive. Quite a few of my friends who come from outside Wales and who have settled here have learnt Welsh, and some are passing it on to their children.
wow, happy news
Maith an fhear!
I'm a native Irish speaker, my mom speaks it fluently but my dad doesn't, so when I was growing up I learnt both languages side by side. The one issue I had with Gaeilge in schools, (I went to an English school), was that the Irish course isn't like any other language course we do. We should be learning the language, how to speak it, understand it, the grammar behind it. But instead we have to learn poetry, study works in Irish. As students, there are so few native speakers, yet the Leaving Cert and Junior Cert course is treated like the English course. It would be fine if we were all native speakers, but the reality is we're not, and if the course continues down this line I feel that more and more young people will grow to hate the language even more, until it's eventual extinction.
Góat That is such a good point. Many of my classmates hate the language as it's very challenging because we don't hear it anywhere else :(
Thank you, as a leaving cert student you have summed it up perfectly. In French class, we actually learn grammar/verbs etc. Whereas in Irish, we are expected to already be fluent. I would actually like to learn Irish properly but the educational system doesn't currently facilate that. But at least making the oral worth 40% is a step in the right direction
Rían I agree. I loved learning Gaeilge outside of school, but both Jc and Lc Gaeilge were a pain in the arse.
when did we start using the word mom in Ireland?????????????
what the use of the word mom, Im Irish Ill use mam or máthair
Fun fact: my great-grandfather spoke Scots Gaelic as his first language. However, he was forbidden to speak it around the home, or to pass it on to his children, by my great-grandmother, who saw Gaelic as a 'lower-class' language of the uneducated, and wanted her kids to speak English. So he would go outside and speak it to his horse xD
That's an unfortunately common story (well, not the horse bit. Your sinn-seanair was a bit unique there :P). Here in Wales, one of the most effective language-destruction tools the British state had was in portraying the language as low status and backward. That, along with the Welsh-Not system and other things associated with "Brad y Llyfrau Gleision" as it's called, saw the language vanish from vast areas of south Wales in a generation.
I don't see the language your g-g-father spoke, as "scots gaelic" is an oxymoron: either scots (germanic ancestry) or gaelic (celtic origin), but which language is "scots gaelic"?
To distinguish it from Irish gaelic
So you vote for "gaelic", not for "scots". OK.
Yves22 Semantics. I understood precisely what the commenter meant.
My family is from Brittany, and my great-grandparents (born pre-war) spoke Breton either natively or fluently. The language was suppressed by the French administration, especially in schools where students were punished for speaking it (even during recess). In some schools, one rule forbid students from spitting and speaking Breton. Still, it remained the dominant language until after the war, when my grandparents were born. For them, proficiency is variable: most people in their generation can still understand some Breton and some speak it fluently, but their parents were much less likely to teach them Breton. My parents don’t speak it except for a few words, and I, not being born in Brittany, don’t know much more about the language as any regular French people my age. I truly hope Breton can go through a revival, and that I can learn it and use it with native speakers in the future
Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
@@pts888 damn I thought Indian nationalists were cringe, but thanks for clearing my misconception, albanian nationalists are cringier
@@kartikpoojari7066 Open o book in your life and than speak
@@kartikpoojari7066 What about slaves coming in Europe, you need some history, a serb troll, 😂😂😂😂
@@pts888 ain't taking suggestions from some cringy balkan nationalists
In northern England some farmers still count their sheep using an ancient Celtic system.
binaway thats really cool
How do they do it? It's interesting
ua-cam.com/video/TiXINuf5nbI/v-deo.html
They never count them at night though, because they would fall asleep quickly
It is from Cumbric and is called the Yan Tan Tethera system. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yan_Tan_Tethera#Systems_by_region
Wonderful thorough video!
ande
mean under
in gaulls
andemantunum
city of langre
under the mantuna ... matuna ... marne ... marine
mantuna ... the white land
under the white land ....
Dear Celtic, Goidelic Languages: You all are so beautiful, rich as the hills with culture, literature, art, poetry. Your sight adds light and color to this world as the sky dons sun and moon. How much knowledge can you give? How many stories of the sea can tell? How many hearts can touch? You are as pure as the skies of this world and the world above. May your graces never leave us! Let this wish be heart-felt: that these languages be revived, if not for necessity, then for beauty of expression. My heart of culture cannot bear to have such languages lost!! May all forces of this great tree of languages rise up, be it of Scottish, Irish, Welsh, Manx, or Cornish in origin. And may they feel the desire to not only keep these languages to themselves as identity, but to share it among the people of the world.
I'm currently learning Irish, my ancestral language.
Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
I've been learning Irish again for the last 2 years, as have a lot of other people. I think attitudes to Irish are changing so hopefully it won't be endangered for much longer
Den heb tavas a gollas y dir (A man without a language has lost his land)
And this proverb is reflected in most other celtic lands:
Hep Brezhoneg, Breizh ebet (Without Breton, no Brittany)
Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon (A nation without a language is a nation without a heart)
Tir gan teanga, tir gan anam (A land without a language is a land without a soul)
Tir gun teanga, tir gun anam (A land without a language is a land without a soul)
The languages, especially Cornish, are still under great pressure.
As a Cornishman, I'm glad that I could recognise the first saying - Den heb tavas a gollas y dir (A man without a language has lost his land) - as being in my language, Kernewek/Cornish. Meur ras / Thank you for posting these proverbs in the different Celtic languages.
@@LaurelCanyon1969 Ditto as a Welsh speaker:
"Den heb tavas a gollas y dir" = "Dyn heb dafod a gyll ei dir"
Cumbrian here and Tir Gan Teanga feels familiar, my original reply was to remark that the phrase may explain America :-D
The Irish version, "Tír gan teanga, Tír gan anam", translates to "A land without a language is a land without a name"
@@mea.wwwwww Yes, he actually said that
I'm learning Welsh on duolingo. Can't say any definite reason why - I'm in Russia and never planned to migrate to Wales, but I have some misterious attraction to welsh language. It would be bad if it disappears. Though I feel it will be very hard to find someone to practice conversation :)
Dmitry Revenko My partner is a Welsh speaker and I learned most of my Russian by Duolingo ( it’s a great tool, although I believe you got to have the basics of a language to start learning by Duolingo )
Dmitry Revenko diolch, rwyn mor hapus i clywed pethau mod dda fel hyn
Swmae! As a native welsh speaker i admire and appreciate this decision, but i have to say i am not sure that duolingo is the best place to learn it from. i have noticed numerous mistakes there myself...
I found it hard enough to find someone to practice my Welsh when I lived in Wales.
Mike Lowe you must live in the south then
In order to be fair, I always have to resist clicking on the "Like-Thumbs Up" button when I start watching one of Langfocus' videos. It never makes a difference because I always click that button at the end of each video. This is another well-researched and well-conveyed film piece, and I will be sending a link to it out to my friends who are interested in languages and culture.
+Ron Charles Thank you, Ron! I'm happy to earn your thumbs up! :)
you dont pronounce the g ogham
I feel that it is Horrible that people had their language token away from them I hope the people who has had that happened to them keep their native tongue alive ✌️❤️ to y'all
If you mentioned the small Scottish Gaelic community in Nova Scotia then why didn't you mention the even larger Welsh community in Patagonia on the other side of the world?!
Thomas Ellis Surely the world is flat. There can't be anyone on the other side.
Very good point - Patagonian Welsh is under pressure from their colonial Argentinian masters - shame. When I lived in Cardiff quite a few Welsh speakers would go out to Patagonia to visit the extant Welsh speaking Chapels. They should secede from Argentina - Its claim to Patagonia is weak - mere contiguity.
Lol, William Douglas, is that meant as a joke or do you really have such bad sources?
"Colonial masters"? They're immigrants, you wouldn't expect the Irish to claim New York, would you?
I live in Chubut, not that far from where the Welsh settled. If they ever had any chance of seceding, it would have been a hundred years ago. Now, most of their descendants don't even speak Welsh, or speak Spanish as their first language, and are as Argentinian as anyone else. The "Welsh" towns have people from all over the country (and other countries too), not only Welsh.
And two small details you seem to completely ignore: first, the Welsh region is just tiny compared to the size of the whole Patagonian region. It would be hard to justify a claim on Tierra del Fuego, or Even Santa Cruz, lmao. Second, and a lot of Patagonia is in Chile. Go ask them how they feel about a your claim over Patagonia :'D
But hey, most of them really value their ancestry (some a little too much if you ask me - take that as you might).
I do agree that this country does nothing for the minority languages, be them form overseas settlers or from the native Amerindians. There are some laws that account for bilingual education, but in practice there is not much done about it.
@@frechjo "you wouldn't expect the Irish to claim New York, would you? " No, but Boston! ;-)
@@williamdouglas4775 Trollicious comment.
I speak Welsh, fluently. It was not my first language. My mother is Welsh, my father English, and I was brought up in England. My mother does not speak Welsh; she was of the generation that lost it in the valleys of South Wales. Her parents spoke Welsh as a second language (I am told; I never knew them sadly), but the previous generation was first language, at least on some branches.
So I had to learn it. And I did.
I use my Welsh daily at work, with some members of staff, and students. I use it as and when I can out and about. But sometimes it takes effort; it's always easier to speak in English to someone you haven't met before, rather than risk a "I don't speak Welsh" reply, which can sometimes be said in a none-too-pleasant way.
Having Welsh is a distinct advantage in Wales, for many reasons. Jobs (frequently advertised as "Welsh an advantage"), socially, understanding the whole of the culture, the known benefits of bilingualism in general.
I often visit the Outer Hebrides, where the Gaelic language is in decline. I have theories as to why Welsh is doing better than Gaelic. These come down to:
1. Gaels are not fighting for their language. For example, road signs are in English only (place names may be bilingual, but for example "Road works" never is). Such signs would not survive long on a Welsh road; at least, not in my part of Wales.
2. Gaels switch to English to "accommodate the foreigner" (as it was put to me once by someone I asked, who talked to a Gaelic friend about a matter that did not concern me, in English - "well, you were here, so it was to be polite"). Welsh tend not to do this. If a conversation does not concern a nearby English speaker, they will happily talk in Welsh.
3. The Gaels do not appear to have the same pride in their language. Maybe this is because the alternative is a distinctively Scottish form of English, which is something Scots are proud of, and so it is seen as an acceptable alternative. The same doesn't apply in Wales to the Welsh English accent.
I'd be interested to hear what others think of my theories.
A chofiwch ateb yn y gymraeg os 'dych chi eisiau :) Google translate works for Welsh! (sort of)
This was way more interesting then I expected it to be. The history part was great, please do more videos like this one! :D
totally agree man. The history part made it very interesting. I like all of your videos but this one was way more interesting than I thought it to be.
Rybackz Exactly. We need more of these... even for the languages he already covered. A whole long episode only on the history of a language
I am from a village in the centre of Spain and I have always been surprised by the word "Basca" as a synonym for Anxiety, Disquiet or Restlessness used in these small villages and by country people like my grandmother.
I was surprised to discover that this word is Celtic and comes from "waskā", in Welsh "gwâsg" and Breton "gwask". The last of a Celtiberian language extinct almost 2 millennia ago
I'm from Cardiff so one of the most English bits of Wales and it's rare to hear people speaking Welsh, maybe like once or twice a month outside school, but everyone knows a bit from school. However, Welsh is taught so differently from other languages it's mad. I barely learnt anything in Welsh whereas French was so much better. I think more needs to be done to teach it better and less repetitively and less focused for the exam, more like French and other foreign languages
I used to live in Bristol and the first time I came to Cardiff, I was surprised to hear two old ladies in a shop speaking what sounded like Arabic! I then realised where I was and that it was Welsh (untrained ear hehe). I actually lived in Cardiff for almost two years a while later, and I knew a fair few Welsh speakers. I love that Wales has such a rich history, and the language definitely needs to be kept alive. I have Breton roots myself, and going to Britanny with my then Welsh partner was interesting - the place names are quite similar, for instance Landivisiau, which is just missing one L to make it Welsh ;)
It is the same situation in Irish schools learning Irish, kids become disengaged from the language and lose interest. From my own experiences and that of my parents experiences there is a lot of focus on grammar drills and learning things off by heart, sometimes without even knowing the meaning. After 13 years of learning there's still so many people with only basic knowledge because of this. When we learn foreign languages later on they're fresh, different, we watch movies in that language, learn about the culture, we engage in conversation more and in the space of 5 or 6 years we are at an intermediate level. Having said that of course there are a lot of people reviving the language and I myself am learning it again, i think the number of people speaking it fluently is definitely improving.
Geraint, I had exactly the same experience in school. I dropped Welsh after two years because it made no sense the way it was being taught and did French instead which like you found relatively easy. Probably one of my worst decisions. Funnily I was listening to the Breton nation anthem which was adopted from the Welsh. It was a French UA-cam channel and it had the words on the screen in Breton with the French underneath. I found myself translating from the French. I was a dunce at school when it came to languages (60 years ago ) but it's still there. I wish that I knew as much Welsh as I do French. If you haven't heard the Breton national anthem I would recommend looking it up. Heartwarming if like me you are Welsh.
There is a Welsh speaking community in southern part of Argentina since late XIX century. They live mainly in Gaiman city, Chubut province.
THANK YOU OMG PAUL THIS IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS GIFT!!!!!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE BEEN WAITING SO LOOOOOONG PAUL I LOVE YOU
+Jakob Germain I'm glad you like it! :) Happy Holidays!
Answer to the question of the day :
I live in the western part of Brittany, France, where breton has been spoken from the 5th century onwards (side note : the eastern part of this region later spoke Gallo, a latin influenced language that is intelligible with french but not with breton)
I started to learn it in Middle school, as my third language, but there was no teacher in high school to continue so I didn't speak it for three years and forgot most of it. I recently started to learn it again, this time on my own, and I'm hooked! I try to speak it as much as I can with my only remaining grandmother, who's fluent, and my father who speaks it pretty well. I use it more everyday
This language is really valuable to me, as it is closely bonded with our past history of being farmers (my father is one as well). I sadly started too late to have a proper accent, but I am wishing to raise my future kids in breton as their native language, and they will be able to pick up the accent from my father
To all of you living in such a celtic region, please learn the language, and don't listen to people saying it's a "peasant language" or whatever. No government will ever do much to maintain these languages, so it's our responsibility to do so!
Mersi bras evit oh labour, hag enor d'ar Gelted!
rez ket bil, l'accent c'est un détail
Kalon vat dit evit da deskoni.
@@dertdert6190 Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
@@dertdert6190 whick language is what does it mean : Kalon vat dit evit da deskoni
Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
This is the branch of Albanian language, the mother of all the I.E languages
I was solely Welsh-speaking until my first resentful English lesson at seven years old. I dutifully learned English in lessons and got a B for 'language' and C for Literature in GCE English. However, I didn't mix with English speakers, as my whole area was Cymraeg. Nearest changeover was 4 miles south towards Pontardawe. I left Wales many years ago, and added a couple of European languages to my list. My Welsh went into suspended animation, which turned out to be a good thing, as when I now return to the places of my childhood, Welsh has deteriorated badly: people forget, get used to English speaking settlers and accommodate them, and before you know it, you're speaking English routinely and your Welsh turns to "Wenglish." But my Welsh went to sleep in its prime, and, like riding a bicycle, it resurfaces in that pure form. Ridiculously, my Welsh is less contaminated than the ones who stayed put!
Oh, the Welsh audio samples are of 'Gog' Welsh. I'm a 'De' speaker (less nasally, and more sing-songy).
I have no more resources to learn Welsh. I live in the U.S.. only UA-cam. open to suggestions or recommendations that are viable. It's my heritage and hate to see it lost in the winds of time
@Ig-nat-ius Thanks, checking
Così anche in Italia. Gli emigrati che tornano dopo molti anni al paese d'origine parlano un dialetto più arcaico.
@Ig-nat-ius I downloaded the duolingo app, and am currently learning. Great resource. Thnx
Sick video, dude! Only problem is that they're so good they make me want to learn every language you feature lol.
I'm a proud welsh speaker, my language is vital to my welsh identity. I live in west wales and here it's spoken all around by the majority of locals, which warms me every time!
I'm from Wales and I learnt Welsh up until i was 16 as a second-language. Unfortunately at the time i thought it was a bit of a joke to learn Welsh since everywhere speaks English and where i grew up in Wales, English was more widely spoken (Pembrokeshire). My family is also half-English and neither of my parents speak Welsh (they only know some basics), so i never had reason to speak it outside of my Welsh class. However, looking back, i wish i had tried harder to really learn Welsh, because it's such an important part of our culture and Welsh identity which makes us distinct from English and England. It's so frustrating when foreigners think Wales is just another county in England and really makes Wales seem insignificant, but having a different language helps to set us apart. I can still read some Welsh and know basic phrases but I want to try and learn it again at some point in the future. Dw'in caru Cymru ~~
Recently discovered I have some ancestors from Pembrokeshire...I was always fascinated with Celtic mythology, specifically that of Wales when I was a kid, but I didn't know I had Welsh ancestors until recently.
@@HijodeGagos Have you learnt much about the Mabinogion and Arthurian legend? That's loads of Welsh folklore :D (though lots of countries claim King Arthur)
In fact, I grew up on a street called Merlin's Hill, after Merlin the Wizard :D
Try the app Duolingo....
One of the best channels on UA-cam. I binge watch all the time!
I have some Scottish ancestry and currently learning Scottish Gaelic. Language is a very important part of any culture. In my opinion, if a language dies we loose their way of thinking and most of the culture too :-(
I've discovered as I've explored my ancestry how truly many they are that I need to keep alive. Like you I've studied Scottish Gaelic (I also like to refer to it as such and not simply as 'Gaelic'), but also Irish Gaelic (I'm certain calling it "Irish" was something the Norman English invented to divide us), Welsh, French, German (at least the Widdebersch and Pennsilfaanisch varieties), and Slovak. I and my fellow-Americans are lucky that we have such a melting pot. Of course, all of us here try to learn at least a little Spanish because 13% of Estadounidenses do so regularly.
You've hit on the key bit, Megan. It is the method of thinking that the language demand that expresses its utility.
I am very delighted to hear that as a fellow Gael! (Éireannach)
YES, Thank you! I asked before and you delivered! Thank you! And it's my birthday :')
+The Green Mage Happy Birthday!
I'm not Welsh but I do live in the UK (Newcastle). I've been teaching myself Welsh for the past few months or so, just on or off to see what it's like and it is really fun to learn! Speaking it is just so beautiful and fluid, it sounds like Elvish!
The Newcastle area has got to be one of the best parts of England dude and I'm very happy you're learning wor language!
Please You should speak about Indigenous languages of Americas like Nahuatl, Quechua and Maya are very interesting...
Take a look at the channel "NativLang" for that.
Why?... different group! ask him he recherches many languages, this time he happens the research Celtic ones!
Be more specific. America is a huge continent, dude.
Brandon Bohorquez That's asking too much dude.
NativLang only speaks about Mayan and Aztec languages. I'm looking forward to listen Paul's take on Quechua and its variants.
Scots Gaelic is on the increase again due to investment in Gaelic medium education in primary schools.Glasgow has the largest population of Gaelic speakers outside of the highlands.Its protected in law by the 2008 Gaelic Language Act.
Rachel Taylor I live in Seattle where we have a Gaelic Society called Slighe nan Gaidheal. Given our close proximity to Vancouver B.C. and the many expat Scots who live there, a small, but vibrant community of Gàidhlig speakers of various levels are doing our best to help maintain the language. And, in doing so, we also learn about the native speaking culture. Slàinte mhor agad.
Welsh also spoken in Patagonia- I am a native Welsh speaker,the language is very alive in Gogledd \North Wales,also it is important to note that,there is much variation between North \ South Wales ,and also between regions of Wales,eg Caernarvonshire Welsh is very distinct.The Welsh language movement is still very strong,and has its own political party_Plaid Cymru.
The language is very poetic and,poetry plays an important role.eg Eisteddfod,_a gathering promoting arts of all forms,the chairing of the bard (bard whom judged to have written the best poem),is a very important part of the Eisteddfod.
I've been studying Gàidhlig for about a year now, after finding out that I am mostly of Scottish descent. Learning materials are sparse, and living in America makes it more challenging to learn, but I find it incredibly valuable because it's one way for me to get in touch with my roots.
Fair play mate
Irishman here, I speak Irish outside of school with a few people I know, chiefly my da and one or two friends.
Aside from the historical and cultural value of the Irish language, which in my opinion make it worth speaking and promoting on their own merit, the language is great to know simply because it allows you to understand ireland on a whole new level, from everything to place names and understanding hiberno-english better. Plus you never know when or where you'll meet someone who speaks it. Even those who don't use it often can make use of it to keep foreigners (or other Irish people) out of conversations. Handy to know for that alone!
I would also add that more than 80'000 people speak the language activily, it's more like 150,000 to 200,000, the 80,000 number refers to people who speak it natively I think.
Kevin O'Grady Agus tá sé an-úsáideach nuair atá tú thar learr 😂
When I was younger, my friend and I wanted to learn Irish so we could use it as a code language. Unfortunately, at that time language learning materials were harder to come by than they are today so we never managed to do so. I still would love to go back to learning it one day
I'm Irish but embarrassingly speak far better German than my "native" tongue. However, the little Irish I have is very important to me, even when it comes to things like place name and their meaning. Although many place names have been heavily anglicized their actual meaning is interpret-able to me. This knowledge gives my a deeper bond with my home place.
Welsh is widely spoken today in Trelew, Trevelin, Puerto Madryn, Rawson, Gaiman and many other towns in Chubut province, Argentina. There are programs and music in Welsh on radio and TV and there´s also an important newspaper in Welsh and Spanish, though the editorial, some advertisements and obituaries are also written in English. Eistedfodd is the most important social and cultural event in the whole province.
Thumbs up for /keltik/ not /seltik/
In many areas especially of North Wales, Welsh is used everywhere regularly on a daily basis, many find it easier to speak in welsh than English , it’s part of the culture, history and daily lives
Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
Why you have Chinese dragon? Thats cultural appropriation !
I am a native Irish speaker and learned both Irish and English at the same time growing up. Although I personally do not struggle with Irish in school, I have noticed that the majority of students dislike the subject as they find it difficult. This is largely due to the Irish course expecting fluency from all students which unfortunately simply isn’t true. While I believe that Irish should definitely be mandatory in schools, it should focus much more on learning the language, at least in primary school, than studying texts in Irish without knowing what you are saying.
Ironic you say that, English medium schools in Wales have the exact opposite problem. They teach you a watered down version of the language that is impossible to use in daily life unless you want to talk about holidays or family members, (I didn't know how to say you are/he is/she is/we are/they are in Welsh until I was 12 and tenses, forget about them!) hence why a lot of English speaking Welsh people get quite aggro about the language and see it as a waste of time. It's something that I thought for years, trained myself out of and now aiming for full fluency :)
@Síofra Loughlin-Bestawros Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
@@kieransawdust Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
@Síofra Loughlin-Bestawros open a map of Scottland and you'll see, scottish called also Albions, but you never read a book in your life, celt-white, open coloured in albanian language, ev-13 halogroup and you'll see the truth, how is possible Albanians have the same group with Brittains when never had immigration from north, only from South, the Celts were Pelasgian tribe, check it
Hello, i'm not from a celtic speaking region, i'm from australia and am of gaeilc decendency. I am learning gealic and using it on a daily basis. fantaiseach fís agus buíochas.
I didn't know there where Gaelic speakers in Australia. Are Gaelic speakers condensed into a certain region of Australia?
There are about 2000 people in Australia who use irish at home. About 25,000 for the US and growing.
I hope you talk about Irish and Scottish Gaelic's weird spelling systems. I'm sure they make sense if you break them down, but I just can't wrap my head around them.
I can't get too specific about a lot of things in a language family video, but those are things I might look at in language-specific videos.
rzeka What do you mean in particular?
Tell me about it.
rzeka welsh looks like someone banged their had against a keyboard tbh
I agree, right now I am using Duolingo and I am learning Irish out of curiosity and simple interest, but I have noticed at least to my eyes that Medieval Scottish Gaelic seems far easier to read and pronounce than Modern Scottish Gaelic, and Irish is simpler in spelling to an extent.
My four grandparents were native Breton speakers but in the 50’s it was considered a peasants language so they made a point in raising their 8 kids and 3 kids (respectively) in standard Parisian French which they did not speak well at all. Madness.
hopefully you correct this madness and are a breton speaker today? :)
Oh man, that makes me so sad, the fact they were probably taught in schools to be ashamed of their own ancestral language. 😭 And especially with Breton being such a beautiful language...
To get a job wouldn't you need to speak French?
@@golden.lights.twinkle2329for the official french labour agency, asking for the breton language skill is a discrimination to french speakers and is then forbidden. But you can ask any non-regional language (german, english, dutch...).
Thanks for the updated Irish samples. It sounds amazing, subtle and incredibly rich. I hope it survives long enough so that I can hear it live.
The languages I wanted to learn about most. Thanks!
I think I'm first!
Just Your Average Demon I'd like to learn too, but I haven't decided yet which one of them. Let's join a study group? hahaha
Matheus Castilho Corrêa learn Irish;)
SCARSSURVIVED why do you think of Irish instead the others?
Matheus Castilho Corrêa Well I can only speak from experience and as an Irish person I love the idea of more people learning the language, it really has a beautiful history
I speak Cornish fluently and use it nearly every day. I live in Camborne, where there are a good few other speakers around.
Matthew Clarke I had no idea until this video that Cornish was an actual language.
Isn’t it dead?
Stewie Griffin it was, but it was heavily Revived and now loads of youngsters are leaning it like me and use it loads
he hasn't replied in two years due to the dangers of camborne
@@phalvorantos No it is actually growing in popularity
I'm just an American trying to learn Welsh because it's cool (and trying not to pronounce it with a southern accent lol)
Fi hefyd . Me too.
Same
@DysgwchGymraeg Dwi'n ddim yn siarad Cymraeg dda iawn. May I ask what your comment means? Diolch!
@DysgwchGymraeg Diolch eto ffrind!
Native Welsh speaker here willing to help keep my language alive
I did go to Cornish evening classes with my dad when I was young, but barely remember anything. Most people I've met know maybe a few common phrases in Cornish (mainly festivals), and that's it. I've lived here for 20 years, and have grown quite fond of Cornwall, so really should make an effort to learn the language!
Try listening to the Welsh/Cornish singer Gwenno on UA-cam. She mainly sings in Welsh but has recently released an album in Cornish. (She's very good as well!)
I'm Irish and learning Irish in school currently. While I think it's important for Irish people to try to use more of it outside of Gaeltachts (Irish speaking areas,) the system for learning Irish in school is terrible. I think if the education system was reformed in how it taught Irish, and if more of an effort was made to use cúpla focail (a few words of Irish) outside of school, Irish would flourish in number of speakers.
RawkHawkMcGawk『Deezy』 Am bi thu fhèin a' labhairt na Gaeilge nuair nach eil thu san sgoil? (Tá brón orm - níl Gaeilge na hÉireann agam. Tá Gaeilge na hAlbainn agam.)
***** Tha mi fileanta ann an Gàidhlig na h-Alba, agus dh'ionnsaich mi beagan Gaeilge (tro mheadhann na Gàidhlig!) aig a' cholaiste. Ged a tha mi air a' mhòr chuid dhem chuid Ghaeilge a dhìochuimhneachadh, tha gu leòr agam air fhàgail gus a leughadh (gu ìre!), agus an uair sin freagairt a sgrìobhadh sa Ghàidhlig agam fhìn! 😂 Bu toil leam Gaeilge ionnsachadh ceart latha de na lathaichean.
The thing that made me dislike Irish is the way the teachers (I went to a gaeltacht school btw) forced you to speak it. I don't like it because I know that it isn't necessary. Its like an ornament, its nice to look at and nice to have, but it doesn't do anything. It serves no purpose. The only time I find it useful is whenever I want to speak to my mum privately, whenever I'm in Dublin because no one knows what you're saying and that is exactly the point!
Doctor Robotix So you are a English bootlicker !? OFF WITH YOUR HEAD YOU TRAITOR !
Doctor Robotix I agree. It reminds me of my own situation (only with dialects, not languages).
Cool video! I learnt Irish all through school but sadly have rarely used it since. I still believe it to be an important part of our culture and history that's definitely worth protecting! Cad é tír gan teanga?
"Tír gan teanga, 'sé tír gan anam" (A country without a language is a country without a soul)
I'm Irish and have been taught Irish in school since childhood and have some proficiency, but haven't used it much outside of education. I'm about 10 years out of school now and am reintroducing myself to it. It may just be in my own social bubble but I am noticing a lot of my peers taking an interest in their language too, I hope this means that we might see an increase in the future. I know for a fact I will undoubtedly send my future kids to a Gaelscoil
Nice to see a recognition of Cumbria
Cumbria and the north west in general is so often forgotten
Good job man
Don't know how aware of it you are but Cumbria and the north west of England is regarded as fairly important in Welsh history as it happens. It was the seat of the kingdom of Rheged in 'Yr Hen Ogledd' (or the old north) which produced some of the best and most famous ancient poets of the Welsh language like Aneirin and possibly Taliesin. We might all get forgotten by the conversation dominating south of England but not everyone forgets about you guys!
Gwion Williams Yes
And Wales, especially at the end of Rheged played a crucial part of Cumbrian history with the sons of the last king of Rheged, Dunmail (Dwynfal) fleeing to north wales (despite being blinded after the battle of Dunmail Raise)
Cumbria and Cymru are cognates - so, in a manner of speaking, you are 'fellow countrymen'
Robbie Wilkins: Cumbria (Latinised version of Cymru) is of particular importance in our Celtic History and as Gwion rightly says Yr Hen Ogledd stretched into much of Southern Scotland (Kingdoms of Gododdin, Rheged and Strathclyde) and Yorkshire (Kingdom of Elmet).Your counting system is still recognisable as Welsh as I am sure are many of your retained dialect words. As sheveck cadwallader points out, you truly are our fellow countrymen and true Cumbrians should be proud of that just as are Cornishmen (Mebyon Kernow).
really!
I've a little scéal for ye, thought it was interesting enough to share. As an Irish fellow from the east coast (which traditionally has been more Anglicised than the West), I'd agree with the other comments that the method for teaching Irish in schools is miserable and needs to change, if the language is ever going to keep up with the times. My sister and I both went to a Gaelscoil, so we both speak it pretty well and will often have short exchanges in the language, but nothing fantastic.
One thing I found particularly interesting last summer, I was in France (Brittany actually, funnily enough) with a bunch of Rover Scouts (all like 16-22 or so) for an international event. Over there we met loads of people from across Europe who all spoke their own languages amongst themselves, and very quickly I noticed my Irish friends and I started attempting to speak to each other in Irish, even those that hated learning it in school, just so as to fit in and not be the only monoglots in the room.
I think if Irish people didn't spend all their time focused on American and British media and saw the attitude continental Europe has towards bilingualism, we might be a bit more inclined to pick it up ourselves.
Eoin H I agree with you totally! Whenever we go to Spain my bro and I always end up speaking Irish (especially when we're talking about someone in the room! 😅) because you never know who speaks English! 😂
Supersassysalmon7 Exactly 😂 My sister and I do that too. It's like our own little secret code.
Eoin H I've noticed I do that. They say the Irish speak more Irish abroad than they do in Ireland! and I completely agree with you, the Irish teaching system really needs a re-jig if it's going to survive
I'm from a village in North Wales. Welsh was the first language I spoke as a small child, I only spoke a little English until I went to Nursery School. I was taught through the medium of Welsh throughout my education until I left school. In my area, my bilingualism allowed me many more job opportunities than my monoglot friends.
Celtic etymology comes from the verb cel(alb)-open, c(alb)'-that and el(alb) lighted, celt(alb)-blown, white people, Albions, Scottland until 1060 AD was called Albania, by the son of Brutton, the nephew of Eneas the King of Dardanians(Albanian tribe) in the war of Troy that moved North and created Great Brittain, read the poem of Virgil "ENEIDA"
Irish is my first language. English is my day to day language but I read poetry and listen to songs in Irish all the time. I have access to Irish radio and TV via the internet which I enjoy often. When I speak to family members at home we speak in Irish.
Hooray!!! I have wanted a video on Celtic languages for a while.
Welsh is spoken in Patagonia too, in the Argentinian province of Chubut.
Hey Paul what about Amerindian languages?? That would be an interesting topic
Leonardo M. Yeah, I agree. Their situation is similar to the Celtic languages' situation.
Leonardo M. I think only Náhuatl and Quechua are the only massively spoken.
Check out the channel "NativLang" for south American languages.
I feel like this would be too broad. They just don't have enough in common to cram them into one video. Unless you want to talk about Quechua, Nahuatl, Navajo and tons of language isolates at once despite of each of them pretty much deserving their own video.
There is also Guarani. And I think tukano is spoken a lot too.
Serbs and Celts lived together 2000 years ago and we have about 1000 common words, specialy with Welsh language. Save your culture and language at all costs. Geetings from Serbia. 🇷🇸
Do you have a list of those words please?
@@milenasovic thought so! Greetings from me too, originally from the Netherlands, but Hungarian and Slovakian
Lovely, and very academic vid! As to your question, as a Celt, the language is hugely important. It's part of our fabric. Thus, as a university instructor, I always drop a few Welsh phrases about the campus to spark interest. Again, many thanks for the vid. It's very well done!
Merry Christmas, Paul! Thanks for this video.
Merry Christmas to you too!
Nollaig chridheil.
I can speak welsh and English fluently. I use it daily with some friends and my father. I also use it with my nain (grandmother). Also, it is the main language in school. I believe its existence is imperative to keep Wales’s history and culture.