February 8th, 2022.
Language can be very confusing, with even English being able to be constructed so as to have multiple meanings (just ask Boris Johnson).
Since 2016 all road signs in Wales have to be printed in Welsh with the English translation underneath. Previously, either language could be first. This has caused some minor resentment in predominantly (culturally) English parts of Wales such as Monmouth. I have no problem with this as it has a certain charm.
My mother-in-law was Welsh, and she spoke Welsh as a first language until she was 14 when she moved to England. She regaled us with tales of English being literally beaten into her at school, with physical punishment being meted out if the teachers heard the children speaking Welsh at school. Even today, the current occupants of the historic family farm in Wales still speak Welsh at home. Indeed, the sheep dogs aren’t bilingual, only understanding instructions given in Welsh.
And as I knew you were going to ask this
Sit – Eisteddwch (colloquial ista)
Lie Down – Gorweddwch
Stay – Arhoswch (colloquial aros)
Come – Dewch
Good boy – Da Iawn / Bachgen da maybe?
Roll Over – Rholiwch
Leave – Gadewch
Where it gets complicated is that the above is southern and central Welsh; northern Welsh is slightly different.
My children (Kiwis through and through) spent time with their grandmother in England, but 2 miles from the Welsh border. They both learnt rudimentary Maori at primary school in New Zealand.
Now this is where it gets interesting. When they had to move to secondary school, they had a choice – attend one in Wales, 5 miles away, or attend one in England, 7 miles away. They chose England because it was compulsory to learn Welsh at the school in Wales. In New Zealand, they learned Maori because it was voluntary. They were happy to learn when they could choose but objected to its being compulsory.
Still stuck in the UK thanks to our kind and caring Prime Minister, controller of all truth, I have been occasionally reading the NZ Herald and Stuff (someone has to). When reading Stuff, I have discovered that New Zealand now apparently has three languages – Maori, English and Engri (a combination of Maori and English). Now I have no objection to them (Stuff) printing pieces in Maori as long as they carry an English translation; equally I have no objection to them carrying Maori translations of English pieces.
What I do have difficulty with is when they use a new language – Engri.
For example, I am going to Papaioea to visit whanau or, from yesterday, “met fortnightly to practice its pepeha, develop an understanding of tikanga and learn waiata”. I understand that it was discussing Maori issues in the workplace, which is fair enough, but why not in English with a translation (or in Maori as shown, but with an English translation). That is inclusivity and pays respect to both cultures.
As an aside, I find Stuff almost unreadable and have yet to read anything that criticises either the Prime Minister or her Government. The NZ Herald is getting interesting as it appears to be developing some inner fortitude (slowly, but still hardening its view of the government).
Finally, on the English side of the westbound tollgates of the M4 there was one sign which, to the great amusement of my mother-in-law was only in English.
Similar to the one below which is found in hospitals, but without the Welsh.
For some reason, they thought that only the English would be obnoxious.
