Image of Welsh Scrabble originally uploaded to Flickr by afagen
I heard this rather lovely word being discussed on the radio this morning - on the Chris Evans show on Radio 2 of all places. I was stuck in traffic on the M11 and had grown bored of the Today programme. They were using it to talk about the Welsh rugby success.
"Hwyl".
It's Welsh and means, according to Oxford Dictionaries Online, "a stirring feeling of emotional motivation and energy".
How poetic.
Another favourite Welsh word - I only know two so far, of course - is "cwtch", which means "a cosy corner" or a "safe place". Sianuska uses it in the name of her splendid blog A Cwtch and a Cuppa, which I recommend you visit when in need of beauty and sustenance.
bora da rach! love the welsh scrabble.
ReplyDeleteif only i actually spoke welsh. my mum's dad's family spoke welsh as their first language but alas, it was forbidden to speak welsh in schools and the like and over a few generations they lost the language. so sad.
i'm having a toast and blog break before carrying on with some screen printing.
have a lovely day.
x
PS the word verification thingumy looks like it might garner a few points in welsh scrabble...
It's such a shame how languages get lost generation to generation: my mum's family stopped speaking Chinese after they emigrated to Jamaica and it got forgotten, although my grandfather did try to learn it and was very proud of his heritage. I believe he started the first Chinese Jamaican scout troop in Kingston...
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the toast, hope you have a productive day!