Welsh Language
Croeso i Betws-y-Coed – why not try speaking Welsh during your visit?
You will hear Welsh spoken all around you during your visit to Betws-y-Coed – it is the first language of many local people in this part of Wales and the oldest used language in Europe.
Welsh belongs to the group of Gaelic/Brithonic languages, together with Irish, Breton, Cornish and the extinct language known as Cumbric. So, what did the Romans do for us? Well Welsh is strongly influenced by Latin; A Stryd is a street from Stratum, Llaeth is milk from lactum, Ysgol is a school from Scola, for example.
The Welsh language developed gradually, though from the 14th Century onwards it has remained very similar to the Welsh written and spoken today. That is apart from the Norman/English words which have sneaked in, like flio for flying (whereas hedfan is ‘proper’ Welsh) or dreifio for driving (Gyrru in ‘proper’ Welsh).
Welsh is both a living language and a local language so why not give it a try? After all, the Welsh national hymn ‘Hen Wlad fy’n Nhadau’ ends with the expectation that it will last forever.
| Good morning | Bore da | (Bor-eh Dah) |
| Good day | Dydd da | (Dith Dah) |
| Good afternoon | Prynhawn da | (Prihnown Dah) |
| Good night | Nos da | (Nohs Dah) |
| How are you? | Sut mae | (Sit Mae) |
| Cheers (bye) | Hwyl | (Hooil) |
| Thank you very much | Diolch yn fawr | (Dee-ol[ch] Uhn Vaoor) * |
| Thanks | Diolch | (Dee-ol[ch]) * |
| Good Health! | Iechyd da! | (Ye[ch]id dah) * |
| Welcome | Croeso | (Kroy-so) |
| Mountain | Mynydd | (Muhneth) |
| River | Afon | (Ah-von) |
| Sea | Môr | (More) |
| Woodland | Coedwig | (Koyd-wig) |
| House | Tŷ | (Tih) |
| Bread | Bara | (Barra) |
| Tea | Te | (Tear) |
| Sugar | Siwgwr | (Shoog-oor) |
| Milk | Llefrith | ([Ll]ev-rith) * |
| Betws-y-Coed | – | (Bet-oos er Koyd) |
* Want to know how to pronounce [ch] and [ll]? Ask a local, and have some fun learning how to say them!