The Celts didn't have one single name for the land now called Wales; the Welsh people, known as the Cymry, called their country Cymru, meaning "land of fellow-countrymen," from the Brittonic kombrogi, while the Irish call it An Bhreatain Bheag ("Little Britain"), reflecting ancient connections before modern divisions. The English name "Wales" comes from the Anglo-Saxon word for "foreigner," a term applied to the native Celts pushed westward by Germanic tribes.
The modern Welsh name for themselves is Cymry, and Cymru is the Welsh name for Wales. These words (both of which are pronounced [ˈkəm.rɨ]) are descended from the Brythonic word combrogi, meaning 'fellow-countrymen', and probably came into use before the 7th century.
Until c. 1560 the word was spelt Kymry or Cymry, regardless of whether it referred to the people or their homeland. There have been discussions on whether Cymru should be used instead of Wales to refer to the country in English.
– In Irish, the word for Wales, “Bhreatain Bheag”, is literally just “Small Britain”.
The English name 'Wales' comes from the Anglo Saxon word 'Wealhas' which roughly translates as 'foreigner'. The Welsh name for Wales is Cymru, this comes from the earlier Brythonic Celtic word 'combrogos' meaning 'compatriot'.
During mediaeval times, the Welsh language flourished. But following Henry VIII's Act of Union, its use was banned and its official status removed. The Welsh language was replaced by English, at least on official matters, and oral traditions that had survived centuries were lost.
Cymru (pronounced [ˈkəmrɨ]) is the Welsh-language name for Wales, a country of the United Kingdom, on the island of Great Britain.
Did you know that the Welsh name for a Jelly Fish isn't “Pysgodyn Wibli Wobli” (Wibbly Wobbly Fish), it does in fact have a number of names, the favourite being “Cont Fôr” or “Cont y Môr” – Môr is the Welsh for sea, you can work out the rest yourself…. They're wet and dangerous to touch….
Cornish, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Manx and Welsh belong to the Celtic branch of Indo-European. Celtic, in turn, divides into two distinct subgroups: P-Celtic (or Brythonic) and Q-Celtic (or Goidelic). Cornish and Welsh are P-Celtic languages, whilst Scottish Gaelic, Irish and Manx are Q-Celtic languages.
"Yaki Da" is an attempt to pronouce Iechyd Da in phonetic English ... and should be avoided!!! Welsh for Cheers is Iechyd Da. More useful Welsh Words, Phrases and Sayings, click here ...
Pysgod (or pysgodyn) wibli wobli has unofficially become the Welsh favourite nickname for the Jellyfish. It's real translation is 'slefren-fôr and it is sometimes also referred to 'cont y môr'! Most of you will have also heard of 'popty-ping' as the microwave. What other Welsh nicknames make you chuckle?
What did the Romans call Wales? During the Roman invasion of Britain in the first century AD, the Romans called the island containing Wales “Brittania Major.” While it may be true that Wales was referred to by the Romans as “Cambria,” this name was used much later in medieval times.
Let's start at the capital. It's known in English as Cardiff, a name that derives from the medieval Welsh Caerdyf (which also gives us the modern Welsh Caerdydd). The first part of the name is the common Welsh noun caer, 'fort'. The second part is a form of the river name Taf (English Taff).
Most people in Scotland, Ireland and Wales were assumed to be descended from Celtic farming tribes who migrated here from central Europe up to 6,500 years ago. The English were thought to largely take their genetic line from the Anglo-Saxon invaders of the Dark Ages who supposedly wiped out the Celts in England.
Other ethnic group
In Wales, 'Welsh' is the first option in the White category.
While both languages originate from the same source, the written and spoken forms are different. A Welsh speaker would find it hard to understand Irish Gaelic. The alphabets are slightly different too - the Irish alphabet uses 18 letters, while the Welsh alphabet has 29.
Who are the Welsh? The Welsh today are descended from many people. Celtic tribes from Europe came to settle the whole of the British isles around 500-100 BC, alongside the original Iron Age population. It was their language which sowed the seeds of the modern Welsh language.
Meanwhile, the Vikings are a set of peoples originating from Scandinavia whose protagonism takes place after 789 A.D. In addition, they descend from German tribes, so it is concluded that neither language nor culture are shared among them. At this point, it's very clear that the Vikings are not Celtic.
Wales in the Irish language is “An Bhreatain Bheag”. Though this can be translated as “Little Britain”, historically what it really means is “Britain Minor”.
Pandy is the Welsh word for a fulling-mill. The village was on a route used by the early railways; the Abergavenny to Hereford line still passes to the west.
iechyd da in British English
(ˌjækiːˈdɑː , Welsh ˈjɛxəd dɑː ) exclamation. Welsh. a drinking toast; good health; cheers.
Cwtch is a Welsh-language and Welsh-English dialect word meaning a cuddle or embrace, with a sense of offering warmth and safety. Often considered untranslatable, the word originated as a colloquialism in South Wales, but is today seen as uniquely representative of Wales, Welsh national identity, and Welsh culture.
The Welsh term for the language, Cymraeg, descends from the Brythonic word combrogi, meaning 'compatriots' or 'fellow countrymen'.