Welsh Language

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Wales Coat of Arms

[edit] Introduction

This wikibook has been written as an aid to learning Welsh (Cymraeg or y Gymraeg, pronounced [kəmˈrɑːɨɡ], [ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]). It is a Celtic language spoken natively in Wales (Cymru), in England by some along the Welsh border, and in the Welsh settlement in the Chubut Valley of Patagonia, Argentina. There are also speakers of Welsh throughout the world, most notably in the rest of Great Britain, the United States, Canada and Australia.

Due to the increasing use of the English language the numbers of Welsh speakers had been declining for decades. However, following a number of measures, including the introduction of the Welsh Language Act in 1993, Welsh has enjoyed a strong revival in recent years and has an equal status with English in the public sector in Wales. It is now the most widely spoken Celtic language.

Latin	Irish	Welsh	English
Quis	Cé	Pwy	Who
Caput	Ceann	Pen	Head

An Indo-European language, Welsh belongs to the Brythonic branch of Celtic Languages, which includes Breton and Cornish. This branch is also named "P-Celtic", because the "qu" consonant of Indo-European origin became a "p". In the other branch, including Irish and Scots Gaelic, this consonant kept the same sound, giving rise to the name "Q-Celtic". This is shown on the table to the right:

[edit] Introduction to Welsh

The following should be completed before beginning the Welsh course. You will learn how to pronounce Welsh, learn some basic greetings, count to 10, and learn a little bit about the grammar that you will face when learning Welsh.