Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Welsh speakers advice please

139 replies

wineapotamus · 12/12/2016 10:04

Hi all,
How would you pronounce the name Efa? I'm 3rd generation Welsh and can say things like nos da, mochyn and cariad that my main called me when I was small. My son has a Welsh name that I love and I'd like my little one (due in March) to have a Welsh name too, but I'm getting lots of variation on how this would be pronounced. Like eefah or ever or effer?
Diolch and all that xxx

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
BratFarrarsPony · 12/12/2016 14:15

oh so she did....well she should cer i grafu as well the cont mawr iawn..:)

WellErrr · 12/12/2016 14:12

This is what Elphaba said in response to Two's comment -

And yes, twoevils, they all are, without exception

Pretty insulting, I'd say.

BratFarrarsPony · 12/12/2016 14:10

I don't think Elphaba did insult anyone, in fact she suggested we all go for a pint together....

WellErrr · 12/12/2016 14:10

See, Elphaba, that's just it, isn't it?

You think that events that happened generations ago give you a free pass to insult any English person, any time. You don't seem to think there's anything wrong with this. You're not alone in it, but it's a very small minded approach.

Should we hate Germans too? How about Italians? After all, the Roman invasions were brutal.

Or should we just grow the fuck up and not go around insulting a whole race of people publicly but smugly thinking they can't understand?

WellErrr · 12/12/2016 14:06

I'm sure some of them do, but on this thread we've had a poster saying that all the English are arseholes and another agreeing that 'yes they are, every one.'

I'm English, although I'm a fluent Welsh speaker, and when I moved to Wales I was really surprised and hurt by the amount of low level racism I experienced, and continue to experience. I've never seen the like of it anywhere else.

The comments on this thread are typical.

ElphabaTheGreen · 12/12/2016 14:02

I think the Welsh (K)not alone puts Welsh speakers in a fair amount of credit when it comes to trading insults, in all honesty.

Or, as above, learn how to say 'oh, go and scratch your big cunt' in response, and pronounce it beautifully, and we can all go share a pint of Brains. Grin

MikeUniformMike · 12/12/2016 13:58

And I suppose the English don't use racist terms about the Welsh?

MikeUniformMike · 12/12/2016 13:57

Huw - fine
Emerys - it's Emrys.
Alyn - pronounced Allin not Alan.

I think I know Ceri Grafu

WellErrr · 12/12/2016 13:55

Anglo-Welsh relations would be much better if some Welsh people didn't think it ok to use such racist (yes, RACIST) language about English people.

MikeUniformMike · 12/12/2016 13:53

call her not called.

MikeUniformMike · 12/12/2016 13:53

Oh Elph, thank you! I should change my name to MikeAlphaMike, shouldn't I.
Not keen on Gwennan or Gwen. I know several Gwenans, all 50+.

I know some 3/4 English siblings who called their mam-gu Mamgi. Quite sweet but why did they called Motherdog?

oklumberjack · 12/12/2016 13:41

Dych chi'n dwp Twoevils?

I'm born and bred in deepest Wales OP. I would pronounce it EE-va. However I've never heard it in all my time growing up (but I am old!). My favourite 'easy' Welsh girls names are

Catrin
Nia
Mali

And boys names -

Huw
Alyn
Emerys.

ElphabaTheGreen · 12/12/2016 13:40

^^ Dyna ffordd i ateb.

If English people could just learn that phrase in response (with passable pronunciation), Anglo-Welsh relations would rub on just fine. Grin

BratFarrarsPony · 12/12/2016 13:32

TwoEvils cer i grafu t'in cont mawr iawn...:)

WellErrr · 12/12/2016 13:30

FFS, imagine someone coming on and saying that all the Welsh are arseholes? Which is what Two said about the English.

Wouldn't go down very well, would it?

WellErrr · 12/12/2016 13:29

Hmm nice bit of xenophobia there Two Hmm

ElphabaTheGreen · 12/12/2016 13:27

And yes, twoevils, they all are, without exception Wink

ElphabaTheGreen · 12/12/2016 13:27

Apologies MUM - Sais is absolutely correct. As a pedant myself, I appreciate your correction Smile

AnnetteKertan · 12/12/2016 13:21

I happen to have fluent Welsh speaking grandparents. I don't speak the language but I know how the pronounciation works so know how to pronounce it as you've told me it's Welsh but if you hadn't told me, I wouldn't of assumed Efa is Welsh. i would assume it's an anglicised version of Aoife and pronounce it as Ee-fah.

If you're in London you might also want to bare in mind that 'Ever' is how Heather is sometimes pronounced if you're cockney.

nbee84 · 12/12/2016 13:09

Gwennan

nbee84 · 12/12/2016 13:08

What about Gwennap- shortened to Gwen

Twoevils · 12/12/2016 13:07

Twll dîn pob Sais!

Twoevils · 12/12/2016 13:05

More suggestions: Alis, Tyrion, Mabli, Sali

I love Welsh names!

MikeUniformMike · 12/12/2016 13:02

Lleucu is a lovely name but it does sound a bit like Llyncu, which means Swallow (verb). So how about Gwennol, which is swallow (noun).

Sorry about going off on one Elph, but I see "Saes" quite often and it really bugs me.

MikeUniformMike · 12/12/2016 12:58

Hope that's a typo. It's not Saes, it's Sais. The language is Saesneg, the English are Saeson, an Englishwoman is a Saesnes, and an Englishman is a Sais (pronounced Sice). Saes is not a word.

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.