Interesting Facts About the Welsh Language
In June 2022, The Annual Population Survey reported that just 29.7% of people were able to speak Welsh – this equates to only 899,500 people.
When you walk around Tyddyn Isaf Camping and Caravan park on Anglesey, you will see our welcome and informative signs in both English and Welsh. We have made it our long-term goal to promote the Welsh language wherever possible.
The Isle of Anglesey has the highest percentage of Welsh speakers with around 62.1% of the island’s population.
Welsh has gone through a historic and challenging journey – but remains one of the most beautiful and treasured languages.
The Welsh language is over 4,000 years old
It has spent over 4000 years evolving from Brythonic, a Celtic language, making it the only surviving descendent of the Brittonic language and one of the oldest languages in Europe.
The earliest evidence of it’s existence appears within poetry dating back to the 6th-century by the poets Aneirin and Taliesin. The Mabinogion is the earliest surviving prose manuscript in the Middle Welsh language which dates back to the 12th century, and is compiled of medieval Welsh tales. The prose was translated into English in 1838 and continues to be studied and translated by scholars.
Spoken in other parts of the world
There was significant social unrest in Wales during the year 1847 after the civil service document ‘1847 Report of the Commissioners of Enquiry into the State of Education in Wales’ was published which ultimately condemned the Welsh language in schools and advocated the punishment of the Welsh Not.
The suppression of the language and culture prompted 150 people to migrate from Wales to Patagonia, Argentina to create a settlement which they called “Y Wladfa”(The Colony), allowing them to retain their proud Welsh identity. By the late 19th century, the settlement increased to 4,000 Welsh people and still to this day, Welsh is still a thriving and evolving language.
‘Penguin’ was adopted from Welsh
Yes, you read that correctly. The word ‘penguin’ was adopted from the Welsh language. Continue reading below to learn a little bit of Welsh..
pen meaning head and gwyn (pronounced ‘gwin’) meaning white.
The word penguin was first reported in a letter in 1578 from Newfoundland; “Infinite were the Numbers of the foule, which the Welsh men name Pengwin & Maglanus termed them Geese.”
Longest place name in Europe
You know the one… ‘Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch’ is the longest place name in Europe and is the second longest place name in the world. You can find the longest place name in Europe here on Anglesey and it’s only a 20 minute drive from Tyddyn Isaf Camping and Caravan Park
Duolingo’s fastest growing language…
During the pandemic, Duolingo, a language-learning app, saw an increase in people in the UK wanting to learn the Welsh language and became the 9th most popular language.
In the words of J. R. R Tolkien “Welsh is of this soil, this island, the senior language of the men of Britain; and Welsh is beautiful.”