"The existence of Welsh is one of the great paradoxes of British history and culture". Discuss.

[Tooting Carmen]

Considering that (for good and for ill) the English language has been the most expansionist in the history of humanity, and has marginalised if not totally wiped out many languages much farther from home, is not the fact that the Welsh language is still widespread in parts of Wales, despite several centuries of English domination in all spheres of life and partial and periodic attempts to restrict Welsh by law a massive paradox?

[Tenma de Pegasus]

Welsh is a survivor

[Tooting Carmen]

Welsh is a survivor

Indeed it is. Well within the living memory of some people here, they were caned at school if the teacher heard them speaking Welsh and forced to wear a necklace saying 'Welsh Not'.

[Graham]

From what I remember hearing is that when the English conquered Wales they lived in the castles and walled towns. The majority Welsh population kept to themselves. There was little rebelion like the Highlands or Ireland which might have helped it keep off the radar.

[Mopi Licinius Crassus]

you go from chester towards Bala...a Welsh speaking town at the beginning of Snowdonia (which is only 40 miles away)...and it's a different world

no motorways...just an B road through the hills and countryside

Wales is isolated as fack compared to most of the UK...that's how the language survived

[Tooting Carmen]

From what I remember hearing is that when the English conquered Wales they lived in the castles and walled towns. The majority Welsh population kept to themselves. There was little rebellion like the Highlands or Ireland which might have helped it keep off the radar.

Although in many ways Scotland has held its own against complete English rule more than has Wales, from what I understand Scots Gaelic was heavily decimated mostly due to the Highland clearance programmes, right?

[Faklon]

Probably Anglos saw signs like this and gave up on translating.



But y, hopefully there are speakers left in the near future.

[Graham]

Although in many ways Scotland has held its own against complete English rule than has Wales, from what I understand Scots Gaelic was heavily decimated mostly due to the Highland clearance programmes, right?

Yeah it's messed up a bit and still trying to recover from that but also some Scottish Kings tried to tame the Highland clans also so it it had been going on for a few hundred years. Just the clearances(still went on until twenty odd years back in a smaller form) killed it.

[Davystayn]

Indeed it is. Well within the living memory of some people here, they were caned at school if the teacher heard them speaking Welsh and forced to wear a necklace saying 'Welsh Not'.

Yes this is true, don't forget Welsh was virtually wiped out as a daily language in the industrial areas of South Wales. Welsh survived in the remoter, hilly/mountainous areas of the west, north and mid Wales

It also survived by a long written tradition that formed the strong Welsh cultural basis - the church, preachers, along academia with universities like Bangor, Aberystwyth, and cultural events like the Eisteddfod, the roots of which go back to times of the druids

[Tooting Carmen]

Yes this is true, don't forget Welsh was virtually wiped out as a daily language in the industrial areas of South Wales.

Yes I know - I live in Swansea. However, all I have to do it cross over the Loughor bridge to Carmarthenshire to hear it spoken a lot more often.

It also survived by a long written tradition that formed the strong Welsh cultural basis - the church, preachers, along academia with universities like Bangor, Aberystwyth, and cultural events like the Eisteddfod, the roots of which go back to times of the druids

True - in particular, the translation of the Bible into Welsh and its continued usage in churches and chapels was crucial to its survival. All the same, the Eisteddfodd as we know it now was a late 18th century imitation/revival.