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?

As a Welsh-born, Welsh-learner, fully on board with this.

I see your point ,but as an English person who likes Wales and has spent holidays there and a lot of time there (DS went to Cardiff Uni) very few people speak the welsh language (My cousin moved to North Wales and has been learning Welsh,She finds it interesting but challenging and is a fully trained Teacher!)I would imagine it would still be known as Brecon Beacons /Snowdon .If English people want to be attracted there for holidays!

Beautiful places whatever you call them…….

Same!

@dottiedodah frankly, wales does not exist to appease English tourists.

As I said in my post, you’d have to deal with it in France so deal with it in wales too

I know! I did try to tactfully point out that the English language was also on the signs but apparently it was "difficult" and "a hassle" to look at the right place.

I'm thinking of signing up to a DuoLingo or similar to aid my understanding/pronunciation. Bonus if I encounter the same person again and piss them off by speaking in another language :)

@EsmeSusanOgg , the BBC Pronunciation Unit's advice is unreliable.
I don't know about the Cardiff Uni one, I'd need a link, but it sounds wrong.

@JeannieAlogy , as I pp, it's approximately
BAN-eye Bruch (ch like in scottish loch)-AYN-yog

I think it’s the correct pronunciation that’s difficult in Welsh. Not many non-Welsh speakers are familiar with the rules.

Yes, no doubt I'll be completely stumped by those too! I always enjoyed learning German at school, a nice sensible language where things are pronounced as they are spelled! I could never get on with French or Spanish!

@Letshaveablackcelebration2022 , Saes is not a word. It is Sais or Saesnes.

@GogLais Thankyou! Recently went through Bronwydd and one person pronounced it as written (Bron-wid), another Bron-with, and another Bron-wuth; needless to say I sometimes get confused. 😄

@GogLais sorry, I have always used ‘saes’ as an abbreviation- maybe it’s mid Wales borders slang…

And the English language is Saesneg.

I have mentioned you in another comment with a link to Say Something in Welsh discussing 'sut'. The Cardiff Uni reference I made was from in person lessons/ work sheets produced for us at work. So no link, but their Welsh conversational lessons are highly regarded and used by the BBC and Welsh Government, so I would assume they are correct.

I suspect there are other incidences where the written Welsh favours one dialect over another too. Which is why I say Welsh is 'mostly phonetic' not fully phonetic.

I live in Snowdonia. I suspect that the tourists will pickup the new names faster than the locals

I was going to say this, too!

I actually think it's lovely that Welsh Heritage, and the Welsh language are being celebrated, but pronunciation is a problem for people like myself. It's the same with Irish - the vowel sounds and consonant combinations take some getting used to.

I didn’t know that they’d changed Snowden’s name, everyone seems to still call it Snowdon on things I read. It doesn’t bother me what they call it. It will take a long time for habits to change and get used to it.

(I’m terribly bad at calling indian cities by their correct names as the airports codes relate to the previous names).

There are 101,800 Welsh speakers in Cardiff (me and my family are some of them). We’re in a minority, sure, but I’m not sure I’d call that “very few”?

Do Welsh speakers in general find it more annoying to hear non-Welsh speakers use Anglicised versions of names or to hear Welsh words absolutely butchered? Because realistically speaking it's usually going to be one of the two. I don't care, I'd have a stab at pronouncing a Welsh word. But I'd definitely get it wrong!

People who don't speak a language won't say things correctly. I live in Iceland and speak Icelandic and it's also a highly phonetic, simple language once you know the rules. But people obviously don't bother learning the rules, because why would they? They'll keep saying Reck-ya-vick and Ping-velour and you'll get all sorts with Bannau Brycheiniog. Should be amusing for you :D

And for France the capital city is pronounced Paree.

Oi!

😂

Just kidding, I’m (thankfully) not really married to Old Nigey Red Pants.

Personally I think it’s fine for anywhere to revert to a longer standing historical name (but I am going to need to get some practice in before heading that way to visit FIL, will probably keep to the English version because despite being at least 5th Gen Welsh is of a generation who missed out on learning his mother tongue and now is too old to like much change! 🤷‍♀️)

@EsmeSusanOgg , we'll just have to agree to disagree.

@KimberleyClark , yes. The term Saes is horrible and indicates no understanding of the language. It's almost like using Engl insead of Englishman/Englishwoman.

Personally, ALWAYS better to hear someone having a go at the Welsh (no matter how wrong the pronunciation is) than using the English. The English names actually make me cringe, I think there’s a “visiting royalty” or colonial feel to them.

Irrelevant what Welsh speakers call it, it’s the Brecon Beacons to everyone else.

I don’t expect people to adopt the change overnight, but that the next generation will learn and use the Welsh name.