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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Welsh wedding invitation.

653 replies

Spikeyplant · 18/04/2017 22:39

Just as it says in the title really.

My DH has a significantly younger relative who is getting married this summer. We have just received an invitation to the wedding, written entirely in Welsh. Neither DH or I speak Welsh and the bride and groom are well aware of this.

I am totally cool with somebody who grew up in a Welsh first language family wanting to celebrate their wedding in their language. However I can't help feeling it is a bit rude to send out invitations in a language many guests can't understand without even a short note in a mutually spoken language.

AIBU?

OP posts:
Pearlsofmadness · 21/04/2017 15:44

it's rude to send an invite that suggests you're not fussed whether or not they attend as it looks a bit gift-grabby.

The expense of having someone there for the day is going to cost a lot more than whatever gift they bring so sending an invite purely to be 'gift-grabby' is a little silly and comes across like you are just looking for ways to be offended.

I can understand those who say it appears thoughtless, yes, but still not rude. Why can't OP just call and ask for the details in English rather than being offended at being invited?

Perhaps it's because I'm on the planning side of the wedding at the moment but I just don't think I could be arsed to get myself so worked up about it and would just be happy to be invited.

Kisathecat · 21/04/2017 16:32

My goodness what's up with you lot! It's just a bit of quirkiness what does it matter if it's all in welsh. Stop moaning ffs. If there's anything on the invite you really can't work out just ring em up!

JustMe77 · 21/04/2017 16:38

I'd email or call them and say you really appreciate the invite but think in haste with so many to do they might have forgotten to include the English version for you to reply (make it lighthearted and understanding so it doesn't come across as snarkey). And make a decision based on their response as to whether the invite was sincere or not.

SpreadYourHappiness · 21/04/2017 16:49

anxious2017 No, they really don't.

cadnowyllt · 21/04/2017 16:56

we are still here, we are still strong' statement to the world.

I feel a song coming on !

Bluebell28 · 21/04/2017 16:59

I can't stand grabby wedding summons invitations in any language

thatstoast · 21/04/2017 17:01

Ie! Er gwaethaf pawb a phopeth [fist pump]

cadnowyllt · 21/04/2017 17:04
Grin
WelliesAndPyjamas · 21/04/2017 17:23

I just knew it would be old Dafydd Iwan as soon as I saw your post, Cadno! guaranteed to bring on damp eyes after a few pints 😄

cadnowyllt · 21/04/2017 17:34

Well it is the start of the weekend - think I'll pop down the pub for a sing-song a bit later. Here's another for the bilingual - great song, no idea what is about, but at least its not winter any more.

klondikecookie · 21/04/2017 17:41

I'm Welsh but regrettably can't speak it. Would be happy to receive an invite in Welsh.

I now live abroad in a country with a number of minority languages. I'd be delighted to receive a wedding invite in any of the languages, although there are some that I probably wouldn't be able to run through Google translate. If I genuinely couldn't understand the invite, I'd contact the host to thank them for it but ask if they could clarify the details for me.

I don't think sending invites in your native language, even in the absence of translations, is at all rude.

kjpt · 21/04/2017 17:46

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Gwenhwyfar · 21/04/2017 19:41

"Welsh tends to be a North Wales thing, and some regions of the country have not spoken Welsh for generations (or even never). "

Incorrect. Welsh is stronger in some areas than others, but not confined to the north. The language is much stronger in many areas of the south west than it is in the north east. There are areas where Welsh has not been spoken for a long time (e.g.parts of Pembrokeshire), but no areas where Welsh has never been spoken. The mother language, Brittonic Celtic, was spoken in England until the Saxon invasion.

Bluebell28 · 21/04/2017 19:54

Great songs and thank goodness for Spring Star

2010Aussie · 21/04/2017 20:58

" ... the fact there are any welsh speakers, and a growing number of them in fact, is testament to how tenacious and proactive welsh speakers have had to be to preserve the language."

The same for Cornish which has come back from the dead.There are now native Cornish speakers again and a lot of bilingual stuff.

But going back to my original point, in order to keep Welsh alive it is necessary to attract investment to Welsh speaking areas so that young people are not forced to move away to find work. They can continue to live where they were brought up (if they want to) and send their own children to Welsh speaking schools.

In order to do that, it is sometimes necessary to make that engagement in English and certainly not to alienate non Welsh speakers who come to live in those areas and contribute to the building of the economy.

EBearhug · 21/04/2017 22:01

I understand from my friend that not only is Welsh spoken in South Wales, it's very slightly different than that spoken in North Wales. (She speaks North Welsh and her kids speak South Welsh.)

Yes, I'd say it's comparable to the differences between British English and American English, tap vs faucet, curtains vs drapes, and some slight differences in grammar/phrasing, that sort of thing. Bloody confusing to a beginner, a barely noticeable quirk once you're fluent.

I am nowhere near fluent - English, learning at evening classes in England. There are a surprising number of people with some knowledge of Welsh round and about this area of England at least.

rumbelina · 21/04/2017 22:26

GreatFuckability - happy to be corrected :)

TeiTetua · 21/04/2017 23:04

The mother language, Brittonic Celtic, was spoken in England until the Saxon invasion.

And I read that one name that's used in Wales to refer to England is "The Lost Lands". Sentimental, that.

OvariesBeforeBrovaries · 21/04/2017 23:20

I understand from my friend that not only is Welsh spoken in South Wales, it's very slightly different than that spoken in North Wales. (She speaks North Welsh and her kids speak South Welsh.)

This will be us too Grin we're moving from Wrexham to Llanelli this weekend. DH and I are fluent in North Welsh, DD is 3 and will grow up speaking South Welsh.

DH is already threatening to disown her if she says "Dwi moyn dishgled" instead of "Dwi isho panad" Grin

TittyGolightly · 21/04/2017 23:50

😂 ovaries

My 6 year old uses eisiau and paned rather than Moyn and dishgled but you might want to avoid Pobol y Cwm!

AntigoneJones · 21/04/2017 23:56

Gog sounds completely different to me tbh..:) ...

EBearhug · 22/04/2017 02:15

Gog sounds completely different to me tbh.

I always wondered how people who learn English as a foreign language cope the firs

EBearhug · 22/04/2017 02:16

...first time they hear Glaswegian or thick Dorset or Brummie or any other strong regional accent.

GreatFuckability · 22/04/2017 06:39

Ebear I have a friend who teaches English as a second language in Japan. He's been out there 10 years, but still has a strong Welsh accent. He gets a total kick out of the number of Japanese people there roaming about speaking english with a decidedly Welsh twang Grin

Loving the Dafydd Iwan link. I would pretend I don't cry like a baby when my children's school choir sing that song!

melj1213 · 22/04/2017 10:56

I always wondered how people who learn English as a foreign language cope the first time they hear Glaswegian or thick Dorset or Brummie or any other strong regional accent.

I used to teach English in Spain to children and I have a thick Mancunian accent (or I did when I went out there!) I had to temper it a bit when I first started, and make sure I enunciated all the words properly, but none of my students ever had a problem understanding me. My issue was mostly that I needed to slow my speech more than anything as I speak quite quickly in English and have to slow it down when speaking to a non-native learner.

As for strong accents, any good teacher will introduce various activities in their classes that will showcase different accents - whether it's listening activities, watching videos/TV shows in class or following along to an audiobook. Also in a lot of cinemas, at least in bigger towns/cities, they tend to show movies in two versions - dubbed & original language with subtitles - so my kids always loved their trips to the cinema to see a movie in English.