Diwedd Tymor...

A translation of this post is beneath. Don't worry if you don't understand much, it's not written at any particular level, it helps me though to write in Welsh! I've included some vocab where I think it may help before the translation.


Mae'n annodd credu bod blwyddyn arall o ddysgu wed dod i ben!

Dwi wir yn gobeithio eich bod chi wedi mwynhau'r profiad o ddysgu Cymraeg... hyd yn hyn, dwi wedi mwynhau gweithio fel tiwtor, a thrwy hynny wedi dysgu llawer fy hun! Dwi'n edrych ymlaen at gario ymlaen ym mis medi.

Mae pobl yn tueddi cymharu dysgu iaith efo taith (er taith digon rhyfedd mae'n siwr!). Dydy o ddim yn bosib dweud yn union pa mor hir a fydd y daith, neu ba mor gyflym a fyddech chi'n teithio. Weithiau (efallai) mi fyddech chi'n difaru cychwyn ar y daith o gwbl (fel bod mewn canol tagfa erchyll ar y A55!), ac yn diawlio'r iaith yma a'i holl cymlethdodau, ond weithiau mi fyddech chi'n yn teimlo'n dda (gobeithio), wrth i chi ddeall rhywbeth eich bod chi'n clywed rhywle, neu'n trio dweud rhywbeth a chael ymateb positif (sydd ddim yn digwydd pob tro, hyd yn oed i ddysgwyr mwy profiadol.. ond mae 'na bobl od ym mhob man 'does!). Dwi'n cofio'n iawn y gwefr a ges i ar ól cwplhau fy nofel Cymraeg cyntaf (un i ddysgwyr). A dweud y gwir, mae'n well gen i ddarllen yn y Gymraeg hyd heddiw, gan mod i'n dal i gael yr un teimlad.

Ta waeth, peryg fy mod i'n dechrau crwydro rwan, felly hwyl am y tro:-)

geirfa/vocab
wedi dod i ben - has come to an end
wir - really
(eich) bod chi - that you have
hyd yn hyn - idiom = to this place/so far ('hyd yma' means the same)
tueddi - tend
dal i - still
mae'n well gen i - I prefer

Cyfieithiad/Translation

It's hard to believe that another year of learning/teaching has come to an end.

I really hope that you've enjoyed the experience of learning Welsh...so far, I've enjoyed working as your tutor, and through that have learnt much myself! I'm looking forward to carrying on in September.

People tend to compare learning a language to a journey (though a strange enough journey!). It's not possible to say exactly how far the journey will be, nor how fast you'll be traveling. Sometimes (perhaps) you'll regret starting the journey atall (like being in the middle of a queue on the A55!), and curse this language and all its complications, but sometimes you'll be feeling good as well (hopefully), as you understand something that you hear somewhere, or try saying something and get a posative reaction (which doesn't happen every time, even to more experienced learners... but ther are odd people everywhere aren't there!). I remember the buzz I got after finishing reading my first Welsh novel (one for learners). To be honest I prefer to read in Welsh even now, as I still get the same feeling.

Anyway, there's a danger I've started to wander now, so bye for now, Neil

Cwpan Y Byd

Dyni yng nghanol Cwpan y Byd ar hyn o bryd, y wledd pel-droed sy'n llenwi'r cyfryngau am fis gyfan!
Dwi wrth fy modd efo'r holl peth, ond dydy gweddill y teulu ddim yr un mor brwdfrydig rhaid i mi gyfadde!

Dydy Cymru wrth gwrs ddim wedi cyrraedd y rowndiau terfynol ers 1958. Y flwyddyn honno wnaethon nhw mynd yn bellach na Lloegr, yn  colli  0-1 i Brasil yn rownd y chwateri, efo go^l cyntaf Pele erioed yng Nghwpan y Byd yn rhoi  terfyn i'w gobeithion.

Ta beth, pob lwc i Loegr eleni!

[gwledd - feast, cyfryngau - media, cyfan - whole,wrth fy modd - in my element/made up, rownd y chwateri - quater finals, erioed - ever, terfyn - end, i'w gobeithion - to their hopes.]

(I have orderd a copy of 'Cwpan Y Byd 2010' by Gwyn Jenkins (Y Lolfa) which sounds like good value at £4.99, extracts seem to be used here .)

Dyma eirfa Cwpan y Byd sydyn (anyway, here's a quick World Cup vocab):

De Affrica - South Africa
Vuvuzela - Fwfwsela (made this one up!)
Mae o'n gém o ddau hanner - it's a game of two halves
y dyfarnwr - the referee
y llimanwr - the linesman
llaw Duw - hand of God
y postyn - the post
y trawst - the crossbar
cefn y rhwyd - back of the net
y cwrt cosbi - the penalty box
cic ysmotyn - penalty
ergyd - shot
peniad - header
tafliad - throw in
cic cornel - corner kick
cic cychwyn - kick off
camsefyll - offside
amser ychwanegol - extra time
eilydd(ion) = substitute(s)
Ton Mecsicanaidd - Mexican Wave

TIR (land)

TIR by Cerys Matthews is a collection of traditional Welsh folk songs/hymns sung in her unmistakable style.   As well as the CD of 17 songs, you get a 'CD size' hardback book of lyrics and period photographs, many from the North Pembrokeshire area.   There are English translations of the songs, (except for Cwm Rhondda which is sung in English) as well as some of their background, as well as information about the photos, many of which are of Cerys's ancestors in and around the Trefin area of 'Sir Benfro'.

The projects strength (other than the great packaging) in my opinion is the way in which the songs are stripped down to their roots, many of which have become familiar to us through the male voice choir tradition.  This simple treatment shows the songs in another light, including Hen Wlad fy Nhadau with its full three verses (news to me as well!)

So if your looking for a collection of traditional Welsh songs given simple fresh treatment this is definately worth having.   You can get a signed copy now from 'Earthquake',  or I'm sure the songs will be available on i-tunes etc.  after the official release on the 21st June.   If anyone wants I'm happy to burn 'sample' copies, though this is no replacement for the whole package of course ;)

Hanes dysgwraig.... A learners tale....

I watched a fascinating programme on S4C this week, one of the 'O Flaen Dy Lygaid' (before your eyes) series which looked at the life of 'Stef Farrar', a remarkable woman who moved from Nottingham to Snowdonia after finishing her university course at Bangor. Stef decided to learn Welsh soon after moving full time to Wales and became fluent in a couple of years. In 1989 she won the prestigious Dysgwr y Flwyddyn competition at the National Eisteddfod and went on to work as a tutor. Perhaps what is most remarkable is how she changed the language of her 'aelwyd' (hearth - meaning home) when her first child was small, in order to give him the best chance to fit into the community. Today her five children are all fluent and enthusiastic Welsh speakers though her determination to use the Welsh language in the home may have contributed to her seperation from her husband, who though not unsympathetic to the language was not interested in learning. In her words he was a little 'pissed off'! As well as continuing to teach the language to adults and raise her family, Stef has been setting new British records in swimming for her age group (she's just turned 50), a childhood interest she's recently rekindled. The backdrop of the programme sadly though was her mothers illness which meant much traveling back and forth between Snowdonia and Nottingham, though things had improved a little by the end of filming. All in all a fascinating programme, well worth catching on S4Clic. (I also write about the programme on Clecs Cilgwri, though this is not a translation of it!)

Y dyfodol - the future

We were looking at the future tonight in blwyddyn 2,   here's a paragraph using the future of 'bod' (to be) - bydd:

Mi fydd ein hogan ni'n mynd i Fetws y Coed dydd mercher ar drip ysgol efo'r adran daearyddiaeth (geography dept.).  Dwi ddim yn gwybod be' fydden nhw yn wneud yna, ond mae'n rhaid iddyn nhw mynd á sgidiau cerdded, dillad cynnes, cot sy'n dal dwr (waterproof) - well it is Wales - a pecyn bwyd.  Mi fydden nhw'n dod yn ól i'r ysgol tua pedwar o'r gloch yn y p'nawn.  Mae'r athrawon wedi dysgu'r plant sut i ddweud 'Betws y Coed' (chwarae teg iddyn nhw!),  wnaeth Miriam dweud wrtha i 'The English call it 'betsy co-ed'...! 

Mi fydd hi'n ddiwrnod braf yn ól y rhagolwg tywydd, ond mi fydda i'n gweithio yn y gweithdy trwy'r dydd yfory yn anffodus.

Gwleidyddiaeth / Politics... if you've not had enough....

With all the politics in the news this week, you will have heard many words relating to the election and all its associated fallout on any Welsh news reports you've heard. Here are a few of the common ones:

Etholiad cyffredinol - general election
Etholaeth - constituency
Pleidleisio - to vote
Bwrw pleidlais - to cast a vote
pledlais - a vote
y pleidleiswyr - the voters
Y Toriaid/Ceidwadwyr - The Tories/Conservatives
Y Blaid Lafur - The Labour Party
Y Democratiaid Rhyddfrydol - Lib Dems (many just say lib dems, though it's great once you master it!)
Dadl - argument/debate
Prif Weinidog - Prime Minister
Y Senedd - Parliament
Senedd Grog - Hung Parliament
San Steffan - Westminster
Trafodaeth(au) - discussion(s)
Clymblaid - Coalition
y gwrthblaid - the opposition
Llanast - mess!

Adroddiad a Chanlyniadau o Wersyllt...

Mae adroddiad  am 'Eisteddfod y Dysgwyr 2010' ar wefan  'LearnCymraeg', efo rhestr o'r canlyniadau. Mae'n ar gael yn Gymraeg a Saesneg cofiwch!

adroddiad - report
(g)wefan - website
rhestr - list
Canlyniadau - results
ar gael - available
cofiwch - remember (command form)