To think that if it was France & French no one would care about a name change but because it’s Welsh…

[Letshaveablackcelebration2022]

Welsh is trending on Twitter because a lot of people don’t like the fact that the Brecon Beacons will revert to its Welsh name https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/apr/17/brecon-beacons-relaunches-with-welsh-name-bannau-brycheiniog-as-picture-of-hope-for-future

People also kicked off when Snowdon also reverted to its Welsh name Yr Wyddfa

Aibu to really not understand the issue. I am Welsh and a Welsh speaker. It makes sense to me to call place names by their Welsh names and not by their anglicised versions if you want to protect a language and culture. Which we do.

Noone would bat an eyelid if in France their decided to only use French names. We drive in France and get by without English alternatives. So what exactly is the problem with Wales doing the same?

Looked it up and a news article says Ban-eye Bruck-ein-iog. How do I say -iog though?

If it was say the Basque region in France and they wanted to revert to a Basque name for an area rather than use the French one there could be trouble.

I don't think many people in the UK care if the name changes but it might be annoying if you were intending to go on holiday to the Brecon Beacons and couldn't find tourist information because you didn't know the Welsh name for it. Although I expect Google would help you out.

The thing that I don't get though is when they will waste money putting a word that's exactly the same in English as it is in Welsh on street signs. Example: Avenue De Clichey. Which is French. But it's put twice on one sign! This happens often. Seems like a pointless exercise to me.

Cwm is a Welsh word but it is also a geographical term meaning a steep-sided hollow at the head of a valley or on a mountainside.

It's phonetic. So it would be ee-og. Lol. Bruck-ein-ee-og.

Milngavie = 'mill-guy'
Bicester = 'biss-ter'

So it hasn't reverted because the Welsh and English names for the park were created at the same time - it's just dropped the English name, which as I said is fine by me, I'm not a Faragist.

It's spelled Turkiye.

But it isn’t Nepalese is it?

Oh ok, I had no clue, hadn't even heard of the first one!

I think it is a great idea and the video is wonderful. I am Welsh but am not a Welsh speaker, apart from a few words, but will take the trouble to learn the pronunciation.

Certainly no-one outside of Wales, I still refer to Snowdonia.

Yes - have you never heard of an eisteddfod? Listened to a male voice choir? A harp playing a Welsh folk tune? Or, if you want a more English-language example, laughed at Max Boyce? Also, let’s not forget that several of our greatest actors are from Wales - Burton, Hopkins, Sheen… And a couple of our greatest pop stars - Shirley Bassey and Tom Jones! No cultural life?!?!?!

I’m seeing Türkiye in English increasingly - really annoys me as it puts me in mind of someone giving themselves a pat on the back for being so culturally sensitive when 1) I doubt it’s pronounced properly half the time and 2) this is a very different context to the changes in how we refer to e.g. certain Indian cities in English so comes across as rather ignorant.

There’s also lots of French named villages in Leicestershire - Ashby de la Zouch for example, named during the Norman Conquest.

That's so pretentious and snobbish tho

Thanks, I was confused as it wasn't broken into two syllables so I thought the two vowels together must do something else.

So culturally sensitive that we are calling a country what they have asked us to call it, when speaking in English?
did you have the same reaction to Kiev to Kyiv?

Horrace is Welsh and you have no right to police how a Welsh person chooses to talk about their country and language, unless of course you yourself are the Welshest of Welshy Welshness, and if you're not, then ca dy geg!

It's a town in East Dunbartonshire, and kind of a (distant) suburb of Glasgow. It's quite swish, lots of nice houses there!

I'm a little confused about France. What other language would you expect to be used in France?

(For place names and road signs, I mean.)

Why shouldn't they have there Welsh names?

Should that not be 'have Welsh names there' or 'have their Welsh names'?

@potniatheron did you have to Google how to swear at me in Welsh?!

Hmm. I live in an English speaking part of Wales and am a similar age to you. Welsh was taught in state schools and was compulsory up until O level, so surprised it wasn't where you are.

Nowadays lots of younger people in my area are bi-lingual as we have Welsh medium schools. I think it is wonderful and really regret not paying more attention to my Welsh classes.