Re: :-)

On 25 Jul, 08:17, knoxwill...@xxxxxxxxx wrote:


Pan yr oeddwn i yn dysgu Cymraeg, roedd llawer o Gymry Cymraeg yn help
mawr i mi; roedden nhw yn amyneddgar iawn ac yn barod i fy nherbyn i

- mae'n ddrwg gen i - 'nerbyn'

yn y gymuned Gymraeg leol (er fy mod i yn Sais!). A pan ga i y cyfle i
fynychu digwyddiadau Cymraeg rwan, dw i'n ffindio yr un peth. Yr
agwedd hwn yw yr unig ffordd i warantu dyfodol yr iaith, nid casineb
tuag at bawb sy ddim yn cytuno efo chi. Mae gormod o ragfarn yn erbyn
y Cymry a'r Gymraeg - dim pwynt ei hybu.

When I was learning Welsh, lots of native speakers were a great help
to me, extremely patient and ready to accept me in the local Welsh-
speaking community (despite me being English!). And when I have the
chance to attend Welsh-speaking events nowadays, I find the same
thing. This attitude is the only way to guarantee the future of the
language, not hatred towards anyone who disagrees with you. There's
enough prejudice against the Welsh and their language already - no
point encouraging it.

Chwarae teg i chi am ddysgu'r Gymraeg "er" mai Sais ydych chi.

Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Or in a more northern localised version you're most likely to hear
where you live::

Chwara teg i chdi am ddysgu'r Gymraeg "er" mai Sais dych chi.

I'm putting in "despite" because basically it is common courtesy to
learn the local language. This isn't a favour. It's good, but you're
not a "hero". I'm not being negative - it's just that you're being
courteous and respectful, and that shouldn't be seen as exceptional. I
wouldn't move to Marseille without learning French. Why would sb move
to North Wales without learning Welsh?

I totally agree with you on that, though it doesn't actually apply in
my case; I decided to learn Welsh while living in Cambridge (many
thanks to Cymdeithas y Mabinogi, the Welsh student society there, and
their friends and supporters, who formed the 'cymuned Gymraeg leol' I
referred to above), and have not lived in Wales as an adult (sadly
it's unlikely to suit my job prospects at the moment).
I did feel a sort of personal obligation to learn it, as I come from
Northwich (Yr Heledd Ddu*) in Cheshire, and was actually sent across
the border as a child (aged 7-12) to a private boarding school near
Abergele - where, sadly for me in retrospect, Welsh was not on the
curriculum) - especially after learning a number of European
languages, it became increasingly embarrassing that I couldn't speak
the closest other language to home.


* I routinely introduce myself as coming from 'Yr Heledd Ddu yn Swydd
Gaer', though I usually have to explain in English afterwards!
.

Relevant Pages

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