Felly ... dyma Twm Morys ..... ardderchog ... the song that starts at 3m 44s is especially beautiful ...
Sbiwch! ... dwy wedi camu dros y 305 rhwystyr ... a dim wedi digwydd. Briwsion. Felly ... dyma Twm Morys ..... ardderchog ... the song that starts at 3m 44s is especially beautiful ...
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I got loads of Welsh books while in was in Wales recently ... and that one up there was one of them. I'm a big fan of Cennard Davies, and have, of course, written about one of his previous books where he writes about Welsh prepositions and idioms.. Having been a headmaster himself, his "examples" often involved headmasters ... and also foxes, death, criminality, crap weather, dogs, funerals, the moon ... etc. If you click on November 2014 in the sidebar you'll find it quickly. So... what's in this one ...well, loads of Welsh idioms from the mundane to the extremely strange, all illustrated with a "dialogue", and a smashing and really useful list of short idiomatic phrases that are often hard to find in a dictionary ... ar fai, i fod (i), lladd ar , eist , diwrnod i'r brenin, fy ngorau glas, druan â fe and so on. Here's a few examples of the idioms he does ... my choices are heavily influenced by my increasing age and my obsessive interest in birds, as you will see.... Hoff gan bob aderyn ei lais ei hun .... every bird likes its own voice. Henach, henach, ffolach, ffolach ... the older you are, the stupider you get. Gwyn y gwêl y frân ei chyw(ion). .... The crow sees its young as white ( i.e. blameless) Dwla dwl, dwl hen.... the most foolish fool is an old fool. Am y tywydd, gorau tewi ... it's best to keep silent about the weather. 'Tinddu' meddai'r frân wrth yr wylan........ "Blackarse" said the crow to the seagull Nid wrth ei big mae adnabod cyffylog.... it isn't by its beak that one knows a woodcock. Un wennol ni wna wanwyn ... One swallow doesn't make a spring. And, as mentioned above, every one of them has a neat bit of dialogue after to put it in context .... ... and now, here's Swnami with Gwreiddiau ... As all obsessive counters will know, this is post # 305.
This is the point at which the previous Welsh blog of mine, and all my other blogs as well, got wiped out by persons unknown. Who knows what might happen this time. I've been featuring Rheinallt H Rowlands recently, and here he is, amongst others, speaking mainly in Welsh, so it will be Terrific For Your Welsh at the very least. After this, there is more about the duo, for indeed they were a duo, below. It's also a story with a sad ending... Rheinallt H. Rowlands was Owain "Oz" Wright and Dewi Evans. They formed on the Isle of Anglesey, North Wales in 1991. Lushly orchestrated and sung mostly in Welsh, Rheinallt's music is used regularly on regional TV and radio. The writer Ben Thompson has compared them to Scott Walker and Johnny Cash. The duo formed as a one-off at the behest of Alan Holmes (Fflaps/Ectogram) for a spoof Geraint Jarman tribute album. An attendant legend was devised whereby it was said that Rheinallt was an ex-quarry worker inspired to sing after hearing Joy Division on the John Peel radio show. Oz and Dewi decided to continue working together after being asked to record a radio session for Nia Melville. Oz initially sought to embrace the Rheinallt alter-ego: early shows saw him perform to backing tapes whilst dressed in a dark overcoat and hat. Later performances saw him joined by Dewi. Rheinallt made three albums the best known of which is "Bukowski". Released by Ankstmusik (then Ankst Records) in 1996 it caught the tail-end of the Welsh pop media buzz. Oz also appeared on records by numerous other artists including Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Llwybr Llaethog and The Serpents. The duo disbanded in 2001. They were collaborating on a new project when in late 2005 Oz was killed in a road accident. Dewi continues to compose for theatre, film, television and radio. Changing direction dramatically, but still sticking to the " people speaking Welsh" theme, here's Twm Morys, who's also been a bit of a theme on here, with a fascinating video in which he speaks some beautifully clear Welsh and ...and... there's a smidgin of song too.... .. and talking of Twm Morus, here's a bit of his handwriting in an englyn ... Compare that with this ... I wrote about it 2 posts ago .... look especially at the unusual dashes above the i's ! I think that's a result !
Here's a "Winnie the Pooh"- related task .... In Chapter 4 Pooh goes round to Owl's house and finds that Owl has some important notices on his door .... he has written the two notices like this .... Next to the bell-pull ............PLES RING IF AN RNSER IS REQIRD Next to the door knocker .. PLEZ CNOKE IF AN RNSER IS NOT REQID So .. it would be TERRIFIC FOR YOUR WELSH if you had go at writing a Welsh version of those rather mangled-up notices. The idea is to make them a little bit mangled-up like those two up there but not too much so you can still see what they actually mean. Also, as above, it's good to show that you don't always spell the same word in the same way. The good news is that you have no competition ... there is no Welsh version of Winnie the Pooh, so no Welsh version of those notices in the whole wide world. So very probably your version will be right up towards the top. Encouraging. Meanwhile, here's another smashing, intimate song from Twm Morys ... " Sŵn " "Pethau Serendipitous" .... I can't find the Welsh word for serendipitous so I've had to mix languages... " Remarkable things that happen through pure luck" which I suppose really means something like " in the stars" or " in the lap of the Fates" ... and as you can see, serendipitous" is about 40% Welsh. I don't know if this was written by the "real" Twm Morys"... it was written inside a German novel by Heinrich Boll that I got in the 50p box in a charity shop on Madoc Street in Llandudno. I didn't even notice it until I got it back to the caravan and started reading it. Once I got back to my "real" home a few days later I looked him up on the computer ... he would have been about 17 then ... just right for doing A-level German. So ... was it his ? Well, there's more clues .... [a] "llyfr wedi 'i osod" presumably = set book [b] Only some of the stories are annotated .. maybe only some were required. [c] OK.... that's all the clues! I wonder how many German novels there are in the wide world that have pencilled-in Welsh notes written down the edges ? Not that many I would think. So, if you recognise his writing, or have anything to add to this tiny B-road of Welsh-German relations, maybe you will let me know.... there's a comment thingy down there, or email [email protected] Here he is ..... I love this sort of thing .... I've been away in North Wales for a while.. no computers, no nothing ... but that's another story. When I got back yesterday I looked through the new Radio Times and found that a band I had never heard of ... Olion Byw .... were going to be on World on 3 , Friday 3rd June, 11pm Radio 3. So, I looked them up and here they are. I don't think that Welsh uses constructions like " looked them up" or " threw them out" or " fixed him up" ... German does it all the time with its "separable verbs" ... often the " up" or "off" or "out" bit of the verb splits away and goes to the end. I like this song .... "Ym Mhontypridd mae Nghariad" ..a bit of a mutation-fest that one. "Fest" is also German .... I looked it up and " sorted it out." Godidog !
Back in the early 70's I was living in a tiny, damp, cold cottage in Snowdonia. The next cottage up the lane had no water, the lone occupant had a well as his only supply. We would get off the Purple Motors bus,then walk the mile or so to the top of the lane. Chapel on one side, a tiny shop on the other. At the start of the lane, embedded in the wall, there was a massive rhyolite boulder. The day we left, I pressed my palm against that huge chunk of rock ... it was, of course, wet. We went back there a couple of years ago ... no shop... I pressed my palm on that rock, after a gap of 40+ years. The cottage was all "done up" as a holiday home. I was reminded of this yesterday when I was reading The Matter of Wales ( Jan Morris) ... ".... the truest Welsh places offer experiences as much tactile as visual, for everywhere there are stones that seem to invite your stroking, your rolling, your sitting upon or, if you happen to be a Druid or a survivor from the Stone Age, your worshipping. There are thrilling clumps of jagged stones on hilltops, and stark solitary stones beside moorland roads, and stones gleaming perpetually with the splash of earth-dark streams, and stone walls which seem less like walls than masonry contour-lines, snaking away across the mountain elevations mile after mile as far as the eye can see." Study these Welsh words carefully... pwy twrw pitw trwy pry torri pwt pert wyt tro trio eto ow oer pupur poeri euro twp They've all got something in common ... they've all come from the same place. Can you work out where they've come from ? if you can .... Try to find some more ? What is the longest word you can find ? Here's Sibrydion ... " Arthur" I've just been reading " One Language for all. Review of Welsh second language learning at KS Levels 3 and 4." It makes discouraging reading .... here's the Foreword ... It is undeniably the eleventh hour for Welsh second language. Although there are many wonderful teachers working in the field, and some individual examples of exemplary teaching, Estyn reports show that the overall standard has fallen annually; in fact, pupil attainment levels are lower than in any other subject. Had this been said of Mathematics, or English, a revolution would undoubtedly have ensued. But low attainment in Welsh second language has been accepted as the norm. If we are serious about developing Welsh speakers, and about seeing the Welsh language thrive, a change of direction is urgently required before it is too late. Aside from developing future Welsh speakers, we also have an obligation to the young people in our schools who are trying to learn the language. According to the evidence, this is a very tedious experience for large numbers of them – they do not regard the subject as being relevant or of any value to them. They are not confident enough to use Welsh outside the classroom – the opportunities to do so are actually very limited – and there is no incentive therefore to learn the language. Welsh second language is a statutory subject in the National Curriculum. It became a compulsory subject for all pupils at Key Stages 1, 2 and 3 in 1990, and compulsory at Key Stage 4 nine years later. However, it is not a core subject and does not therefore have the same status as subjects such as Welsh first language and English. At Key Stage 4, schools register pupils for the full course or short course GCSE examination (or an equivalent NVQ qualification); register pupils for an entry level qualification; or chose not to register pupils for any Welsh language examination. The statistics reveal all: in 2012, 27.4% of pupils were entered for the full course second language GCSE, 35.3% for the short course second language GCSE, and 15.4% for the first language GCSE; but 21.9% of pupils in Wales did not sit any Welsh language examination. We are totally convinced that fundamental changes have to be made to increase the number of Welsh speakers and develop a bilingual workforce for the future, but most importantly to give every child in Wales a real opportunity to become fluent in Welsh and to reap all the benefits of fluency. The Group has reviewed the provision and received evidence verbally and in writing from institutions, teachers, parents and, more importantly, from pupils themselves. There was also an opportunity to question and talk to experts in the field. Evidence was received regarding good practice, along with examples of notable success in several schools and of teachers’ commitment to the subject. The picture is certainly not bleak in every respect. Wales has some extremely effective second language teachers, who are thoroughly conscientious and always go the extra mile – they are champions of Welsh within their schools who lead on all matters relating to the Welsh language. However, evidence was also received on how to improve the provision. Some specific themes emerged which we have used as a basis for our recommendations: the status of the subject; the nature of the curriculum and progression; assessment; teaching and learning; resources; the workforce, and informal learning. We addressed the controversial idea of a language continuum, and this led us to suggest that the Literacy Framework for 2 Welsh be developed as a basis for one continuum of learning Welsh in all schools – this would result in the term ‘second language’ itself being removed. The importance of developing the use of Welsh as a medium in English-medium secondary schools was also discussed. However, the most important recommendation of all is the necessity for the subject to be accorded the same status as core subjects in schools; with equal status in the National Curriculum and the same prominence in performance measures, we can bring about the change that is essential if we are serious about creating Welsh speakers. It is important, of course, that Welsh second language is not discussed in isolation and that it is seen in a wider context that includes learning the language in Welshmedium and bilingual schools, and the Welsh for Adults sector. Key Stages 3 and 4 do not take place in isolation either – they are founded on Key Stage 2 and the Foundation Phase and we must ensure that these foundations are solid. The success of the subject at Key Stage 4 in turn affects the number of pupils studying A level Welsh and Welsh as a degree subject, and those numbers are crucial if we want to develop teachers who have the appropriate linguistic and academic skills. The future of Welsh and Welsh culture is wholly dependent on transmitting the language to our young people. And not only that: they have to want to use the language every day if it is to be a viable language, a language that is spoken confidently at the end of the twenty first century. If this review’s recommendations are implemented, the years ahead will undoubtedly be challenging. But they will also be very exciting as we meet that challenge and realise the vision of putting Welsh at the core of the educational and personal development of every pupil in Wales. (Professor Sioned Davies ) To cheer you up a bit, here's the legendary Half Man Half Biscuit ( happy days!) doing, rather incongruously, a medley of "Calon Lân" and "Help Me Rhonda" ( Beach Boys) in their own inimitable way ... parch !! Throughout my school years nearly all the teaching was crap. Not only that, most of the teachers were boring, useless bullies. Recently, Mary Beard, the Latinist, tried teaching basic Latin to ,admittedly, some pretty duff kids ... in the ones I saw , she wasn't very good ... in fact she wasn't good at all. Ofsted would have given her a fail. I can only find this one now, some of the others were a good deal worse ... have a watch at how she tries to teach them ... She's shouting all the time.
She's doing all the work. She talks and talks and talks and talks. She isn't reinforcing anything... it all whizzes past them. Get them doing something for God's sake ! They can't even see the number on Beckham's arm Her gladiator pictures are far too small. She's trying too hard to be liked. She's only interacting with a few of the students.. the rest aren't engaging at all. She keeps telling them that it's complicated. Don't do that! Her writing on the board is crap. It's far too faint as well. She keeps looking down at her notes. She misses lots of opportunities ... why didn't she expand on the word gladiator? She's just not used to this style of teaching, or that type of pupil. Ofsted would want to see her stating her"Learning Objectives" right up front .. and on the board. I've liked the Y Ffyrc song " Bylchau" since the first time I heard it, but I've never got to put it on here because I couldn't find any video of it. But earlier today I found this .... Beautiful words too....brilliant choruses .... what more could you wish for ?
Er doedd ddim byd yn symud - ddim enaid ar y sgwâr Mi oedd ryw ysbryd yno - mae'r dref 'ma'n ar wahân dwi'n siwr fod ar adegau ..... mae'r bryniau'n cau i mewn i lyncu fy nheimladau ... cyn poeri nhw allan mi ddringau o'ma rhywsut .. mi wn am lwybr cudd a elwir A470 sy'n dilyn i Gaerdydd.... mae pendraw'r enfys yn symud ... tra dwi'n symud methu cymryd fo i mewn dyma yw yr amser ... sut mae dy amserlen ? oes gen ti bychau -heb eu lenwi i mewn ? A pryd ddaw'r llanw fyny - cawn lwybr gwlyb i'r môr lle ddarganfyddwn ynys .. lle dwi ddim eisiau bod i lawr i'r orsaf rheilffordd ... arhoswn am oes mul cyn sylwi'r daflen amser .... dim trenau ar ddydd Sul... mae pendraw'r enfys yn symud ... tra dwi'n symud methu cymryd fo i mewn dyma yw yr amser ... sut mae dy amserlen ? oes gen ti bylchau - heb eu lenwi i mewn ? i mewn i mewn ... i mewn i mewn i mewn i mewn ... i mewn i mewn i mewn i mewn ... i mewn i mewn i mewn i mewn ... i mewn i mewn |
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October 2019
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