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Much is often made of the differences between the Welsh spoken
in the North and the South of Wales, but in truth there are many
local dialects. Broadly speaking, though, it is easiest to divide
the dialects into Northern (or Gog) and Southern (or
Hwntw) types.
Mostly the differences are in just accent and vocabulary, and only
very occasionally in grammar. If you have a good course book or
teacher, they will explain the differences as and when you come
across them, but its always useful to have a list of vocab
that varies. So here it is!
English |
Northern (Gog) |
Southern (Hwntw) |
apron |
barclod |
ffedog |
come (imperative) |
tyrd/tyd |
dere |
corn |
y^d |
llafur |
cows |
gwartheg |
da |
cup |
cwpan |
cwpan/dysgl |
cuppa/cupful |
cwpanaid/paned |
disglaid/disied (dished) |
dirty |
budr (pron. "budur") |
brwnt/bowlyd (from baw = dirt) |
fox |
llwynog |
cadno |
girl |
geneth/hogan |
merch/roces |
girls |
genod (cf genethod) |
merched/rocesi |
go (imperative) |
dos |
cer |
grandfather |
taid |
tad-cu |
grandmother |
nain |
mam-gu |
he/him |
o/fo |
e/fe |
he/him (extended pronoun) |
yntau |
fintau |
I should, ought to (etc.) |
dylswn i |
dylwn i |
I would (etc.) |
baswn i |
byddwn i |
I would like (etc.) |
leiciwn i |
hoffwn i/licwn i |
inflected preterite ending |
-ais |
-es |
key |
agoriad |
allwedd |
lightning |
mellt |
lluched/mellt |
me (extended pronoun) |
finnau |
innau/minnau |
milk |
llefrith |
llaeth |
money |
pres |
arian |
now |
rwan |
nawr |
out |
allan |
ma's/mas |
pencil |
pensel |
pensil |
pound (weight) |
pwys |
pownd |
raspberries |
mafon |
afan |
road |
lôn |
ffordd/heol (pron. "hewl") |
smell (n) |
oglau/aroglau* |
gwynt |
hill (on a road) |
gallt |
tyle/rhiw |
to be able to |
medru |
gallu/galler |
to collect nuts/nutting |
hel cnau |
casglu cnau |
to cry |
crio |
llefain |
to fail to |
methu |
ffili/ffaelu |
to fall |
syrthio/disgyn** |
cwympo |
to finish |
cwpla |
gorffen |
to look |
edrych/sbio |
edrych/disgwyl (pron. & sometimes spelt "dishgwl") |
to love, to be mad about |
lyfio*** |
dwli ar (to dote on) |
to start |
cychwyn |
dechrau |
to want |
eisiau/isho |
moyn/mofyn/isie |
upstairs |
i fyny grisiau |
lan stâr/lan lofft |
with |
efo |
gyda |
woman |
dynes |
menyw |
you (extended pronoun) |
chdithau |
tithau |
you (informal) |
chdi |
ti |
Plus there are also some words in English that have several counterparts
in Welsh. As usual, its best to follow local usage.
acre |
erw, cyfair, acer |
hedge |
perth, gwrych, clawdd, shetin |
handkerchief |
neisied, nicloth, hances, cadach |
lad |
crwt, crwtyn, rhocyn, hogyn, còg |
* Note: aroglau is not a plural, even
though it looks like one - the correct plural of aroglau is arogleuon.
But, because aroglau looks like a plural, some people create a backform,
i.e. they remove what they think is a plural ending to create a
singular, arogl. This is, though, incorrect.
** Note: depends on what/who has fallen, e.g.
a person falling over will syrthio, but rain falling
on the roof will disgyn. In the South, to fall in love
is to cwympo mewn cariad, but in the North you syrthio
mewn cariad.
*** Note: in the North lyfio is only
used in a non-sexual way, e.g. dwin lyfio dy ffrog
(I love your dress), or dwin lyfio chdi (I love
you - to a friend). Caru, the more common word for love, is used
only when talking about your partner. Thus, you can lyfio
caws (love cheese) but only caru dy gariad (love
your boy-/girlfriend).
get the text document
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