The Welsh Language

The 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. This book offers a broad historical survey of Welsh-language culture from sixth-century heroic poetry to television and pop culture in the early twenty-first century. The public status of the language is considered and the role of Welsh is compared with the roles of other of the non-state languages of Europe. This new edition of The Welsh Language offers a full assessment of the implications of the linguistic statistics produced by the 2011 Census. The volume contains maps and plans showing the demographic and geographic spread of Welsh over the ages, charts examining the links between words in Welsh and those in other Indo-European languages, and illustrations of key publications and figures in the history of the language. It concludes with brief guides to the pronunciation, the dialects and the grammar of Welsh.

The 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.

The Welsh language is the oldest living European language. This volume surveys the social history of the language in modern times. Its political status is considered, together with the use of Welsh in the courts, and in religion, education and scholarship. The promotion of the status of Welsh is also discussed, to counteract the stigma attached to it by the language clause of 1536.

This work is intended to examine the main trends in Wales during the century following the Tudor settlement of Wales. Emphasis is placed on the social structure, the framework of government and administration, and the Reformation Settlement. The Stuart accession and its repercussions are also considered in relation to political, economic and cultural affairs, as well as the attitudes of the Welsh gentry to a new environment on the eve of the Civil War. The work makes ample use of contemporary sources to examine each aspect of the political, governmental and religious life of Wales.

At last, a full, no-gimmick dictionary with 20,000 words and phrases. It has what learners really need: plenty of examples of words and phrases in context.

The ultimate "think before you ink" guide to accurate Welsh tattoos. Written by fluent speakers of Welsh, the Celtic language of Wales, the book features tips on how to incorporate the Welsh language into a tattoo design that honours and supports the culture, illustrations of Welsh "tattoos nightmares" to avoid, a history of the Welsh language; and a glossary of 400 Welsh words and phrases suitable for tattoos and crafts. Please note that the book does not contain artwork.