The Welsh Language
The Welsh Language

Author: Janet Davies

Publisher: University of Wales Press

Published: 2014-01-15

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 1783160209

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The existence of the Welsh-language can come as a surprise to those who assume that English is the foundation language of Britain. However, J. R. R. Tolkien described Welsh as the 'senior language of the men of Britain'. Visitors from outside Wales may be intrigued by the existence of Welsh and will want to find out how a language which has, for at least fifteen hundred years, been the closest neighbour of English, enjoys such vibrancy, bearing in mind that English has obliterated languages thousands of miles from the coasts of England. This book offers a broad historical survey of Welsh-language culture from sixth-century heroic poetry to television and pop culture in the early twenty-first century. The public status of the language is considered and the role of Welsh is compared with the roles of other of the non-state languages of Europe. This new edition of The Welsh Language offers a full assessment of the implications of the linguistic statistics produced by the 2011 Census. The volume contains maps and plans showing the demographic and geographic spread of Welsh over the ages, charts examining the links between words in Welsh and those in other Indo-European languages, and illustrations of key publications and figures in the history of the language. It concludes with brief guides to the pronunciation, the dialects and the grammar of Welsh.

The Mabinogion
The Mabinogion

Author: Lady Charlotte Guest

Publisher: Xist Publishing

Published: 2015-09-28

Total Pages: 266

ISBN-13: 168195236X

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The Earliest Prose Literature of Britain “So they took the blossoms of the oak, and the blossoms of the broom, and the blossoms of the meadow-sweet, and produced from them a maiden, the fairest and most graceful that man ever saw. And they baptized her, and gave her the name of Blodeuwedd.” - Lady Charlotte, The Mabinogion Published by Lady Charlotte in the 19th century, The Mabinogion is a collection of 12 Welsh legends compiled initially by the Welsh authors in the 12th and 13th century. The legends include King Arthur and other medieval heroes who succeed against all odds every time they face great danger. Xist Publishing is a digital-first publisher. Xist Publishing creates books for the touchscreen generation and is dedicated to helping everyone develop a lifetime love of reading, no matter what form it takes

The Welsh Learner's Dictionary
The Welsh Learner's Dictionary

Author: Heini Gruffudd

Publisher: Ylolfa

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 9780862433635

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At last, a full, no-gimmick dictionary with 20,000 words and phrases. It has what learners really need: plenty of examples of words and phrases in context.

Against the Odds
Against the Odds

Author: Harold Carter

Publisher: Institute of Welsh Affairs

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 162

ISBN-13: 1904773508

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In this wide-ranging and scholarly new book from the IWA, Harold Carter looks at what constitutes identity and at the remarkable achievement of the Welsh in withstanding cultural assimilation into their much bigger neighbour. The book examines the importance of language as a marker for identity and the dilemma it poses in the Welsh context.

Colloquial Welsh
Colloquial Welsh

Author: Gareth King

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2015-08-27

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 1317304691

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Colloquial Welsh provides a step-by-step course in Welsh as it is written and spoken today. Combining a user-friendly approach with a thorough treatment of the language, it equips learners with the essential skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively in Welsh in a broad range of situations. No prior knowledge of the language is required. Key features include: • progressive coverage of speaking, listening, reading and writing skills • structured, jargon-free explanations of grammar • an extensive range of focused and stimulating exercises • realistic and entertaining dialogues covering a broad variety of scenarios • useful vocabulary lists throughout the text • additional resources available at the back of the book, including a full answer key, a grammar summary and bilingual glossaries Balanced, comprehensive and rewarding, Colloquial Welsh will be an indispensable resource both for independent learners and students taking courses in Welsh. Audio material to accompany the course is available to download free in MP3 format from www.routledge.com/cw/colloquials. Recorded by native speakers, the audio material features the dialogues and texts from the book and will help develop your listening and pronunciation skills.

"Speak it in Welsh"

Author: Megan S. Lloyd

Publisher: Lexington Books

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 230

ISBN-13: 9780739117606

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From the quarrelling captains in Henry V, to the linguistically challenged lovers in I Henry IV, to the monoglot vocalist Lady Mortimer, to the proud Sir Hugh Evans, Shakespeare offers Welsh characters whose voices, language use, and presence help reflect a sometimes marginalized aspect of British identity. "Speak It in Welsh" Wales and the Welsh Language in Shakespeare seeks to understand why Shakespeare included the Welsh voice in his plays.

Language, Economy, and Society
Language, Economy, and Society

Author: J. W. Aitchison

Publisher:

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13:

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In this new edition the authors present new sets of language data both for individuals and for households in Wales and examine the impact of migration on the language, the relationship between social class and ability to speak Welsh, and the bases for the reproduction and maintenance of the language within the context of the family. The final chapter considers the prospects for the language in the light of new political and institutional developments (including the National Assembly for Wales), recent planning issues (most notably housing) and developments in the critically important field of education. This book is an essential reference source for those concerned with the changing status and vitality of the Welsh language and of other minority languages in Europe. It provides a framework and a factual context in which to set such issues as language planning and policy formulation at local and national levels.

Speak Not
Speak Not

Author: James Griffiths

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2021-10-21

Total Pages: 370

ISBN-13: 1786999668

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A New Yorker Best Book of 2022 A Globe & Mail Book of the Year "A stimulating work on the politics of language." LA Review of Books As globalisation continues languages are disappearing faster than ever, leaving our planet's linguistic diversity leaping towards extinction. The science of how languages are acquired is becoming more advanced and the internet is bringing us new ways of teaching the next generation, however it is increasingly challenging for minority languages to survive in the face of a handful of hegemonic 'super-tongues'. In Speak Not, James Griffiths reports from the frontlines of the battle to preserve minority languages, from his native Wales, Hawaii and indigenous American nations, to southern China and Hong Kong. He explores the revival of the Welsh language as a blueprint for how to ensure new generations are not robbed of their linguistic heritage, outlines how loss of indigenous languages is the direct result of colonialism and globalisation and examines how technology is both hindering and aiding the fight to prevent linguistic extinction. Introducing readers to compelling characters and examining how indigenous communities are fighting for their languages, Griffiths ultimately explores how languages hang on, what happens when they don't, and how indigenous tongues can be preserved and brought back from the brink.

The Welsh Way
The Welsh Way

Author: Dan Evans

Publisher: Parthian Books

Published: 2021-09-01

Total Pages: 264

ISBN-13: 1914595041

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This book argues for a new Welsh Way, one that is truly radical and transformational. A call for a political engagement that will create real opportunity for change. Neoliberalism has firmly taken hold in Wales. The 'clear red water' is darkening. The wounds of poverty, inequality, and disengagement, far from being healed, have worsened. Child poverty has reached epidemic levels: the worst in the UK. Educational attainment remains stubbornly low, particularly in deprived communities. Prison population rates are among the highest in Europe. Unemployment remains stubbornly high. House prices are rising, with the private rented sector lining the pockets of an ever-increasing number of private landlords. Minority groups are consistently marginalised. All this is not to mention the devastatingly disproportionate impact of the coronavirus pandemic on working class communities. The Welsh Way interrogates neoliberalism's grasp on Welsh life. It challenges the lazy claims about the 'successes' of devolution, fabricated by Welsh politicians and regurgitated within a tepid, attenuated public sphere. These wide-ranging essays examine the manifold ways in which neoliberalism now permeates all areas of Welsh culture, politics and society. They also look to a wider world, to the global trends and tendencies that have given shape to Welsh life today. Together, they encourage us to imagine, and demand, another Welsh future.