The Welsh Language: A HistoryThe 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. |
Contents
List of Illustrations | |
List of Maps | |
Acknowledgements | |
A Personal Perspective | |
The Origins of Welsh | |
Welsh in the Early British Kingdoms | |
Welsh in the Middle Ages | |
From the Act of Union to the Industrial Revolution | |
Welsh in the Later Nineteenth Century | |
Welsh in the First Half of the Twentieth Century | |
The Second World War and After | |
The Welsh Language Today | |
Welsh and the Other NonState Languages of Europe | |
The Characteristics of Welsh | |
Postscript Further Reading | |
The Welsh Language in the Era of Industrialization | |
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Common terms and phrases
Aberystwyth able to speak Anglesey anglicized area of Wales became bilingual Britain Brittonic broadcasting Caernarfon Cardiff Carmarthenshire Catalan Celtic languages census cent centre Ceredigion claimed coalfield County Council Cymru decline dialect districts early eighteenth century England Englishlanguage Englishspeaking established gentry Glamorgan Gwynedd Gymraeg Hywel IndoEuropean industrial inhabitants of Wales Iolo Morganwg Irish Jones knowledge of English knowledge of Welsh languages of Europe late Latin linguistic literary Llanelli Llŷn Llŷn peninsula Llywelyn ap Gruffudd majority medium of Welsh Meirionnydd Merthyr Methodists monoglot monoglot Welsh National Eisteddfod nineteenth century northeast number of Welsh official parish percentage placenames Plaid Cymru poets population primary schools programmes in Welsh published pupils radio rural Saunders Lewis Scots Gaelic southeast southwest speak Welsh speech spoke Welsh status television translation twentieth century twentyfirst century Wales’s Welsh language Welsh schools Welsh speakers Welshspeaking areas Welshspeaking communities Welshspeaking Wales William Salesbury words yr Iaith