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The Welsh Language

The Welsh Language
Welsh is one of the oldest living languages in Europe. Breton and Cornish are closely related to Welsh and Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx derived from the same language originally.

Welsh Facts

582,368 people speak Welsh in Wales.
69% of the population of Gwynedd speak Welsh.
80% of young people between 3 and 15 in Gwynedd speak Welsh.
62% of the population of the Snowdonia National Park speak Welsh.

What does it all mean?
Look at a map of Snowdonia and to Welsh speakers, most of the names make sense. They can help us to see what’s on the ground, even if we haven’t been there. English names, some deriving from the Celtic language, others from Roman and then Norse and Old English derivations, can seem like a mystery to the mapreader.

These are some names that you will see on maps that can help you find your way.

aber	mouth of the river
afon	river
nant	stream
betws	monk’s chapel
blaen	head/ front
bryn	hill
cae/maes	field
castell	castle
capel	chapel
cefn	back
clogwyn	cliff
coch/goch	red
coed	wood
cwm	valley
haf	summer
hafod	summer farm
hendre	winter farm
du/ddu	black
glas/las	blue/grey/green
gwyn/wyn/wen	white
isa(f)	lower
llechwedd	slope
llwyd	grey
llus	bilberries
llys	court
melin	mill
pen	head (of river),peak
melyn/felen	yellow
morfa	salt marsh
mynydd	mountain
pentre	village
pont	bridge
rhaeadr	waterfall
tre/dre	town
tywyn/twyn	sand dunes
ucha(f)	upper

Can you work out what the following mean on the map ?

Cwm-coch
Blaen-y-nant
Clogwyn Castell
Clogwyn Llys
Yr Hafod
Rhaeadr Ogwen

Nant Ffrancon

Click here to view a map of the population of Welsh speakers within each area.