Two FamilySearch Welsh Posts – November 17 – 18, 2019

I saw these recently on FamilySearch – How to Pronounce Welsh Words: https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/welsh-pronunciation/ and Traditional Welsh Food: https://www.familysearch.org/blog/en/welsh-food/.

How to Pronounce Welsh Words

November 18, 2019  – by  Amie Tennant

Have you ever thought you didn’t have it in you to learn a foreign language? Well, with today’s access to the internet, you can learn just about anything, including the language of your forefathers! If you have Welsh ancestry, even learning Welsh pronunciation and a bit about the Welsh language can be of great help to you as you begin to search for your ancestors.

The National Languages of Wales

Wales is a bilingual country. Though most records are written in English, Welsh is an equally important language in the country. In fact, Wales recently launched a strategy to have 1 million Welsh speakers by the year 2050. Children up to the age of 16 are being taught the language alongside English in the schools, street signs are found in both English and Welsh, and there is even a radio station in the Welsh language!

Ifor ap Glyn, a writer and broadcaster, said, “We have a saying in Welsh, ‘Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon’ [which means] ‘A nation without a language is a nation without a heart’—and the Welsh language is still very much at the heart of our national culture.”

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and

Traditional Welsh Food

November 17, 2019  – by  Alison Ensign

Many claim that the best way to experience a culture is through local cuisine. The same can be said of your heritage. The best way to experience a piece of your ancestors’ lives is through the food they ate.

Use FamilySearch.org to find family recipes that your relatives have shared, or start recording the family recipes you have saved.

Welsh Food Traditions

In many cultures, the cuisine reflects the tastes and trends of the higher classes. However, the wealthy and educated in Wales who had the ability to record recipes often followed English cooking styles. Consequently, they did not represent true Welsh cooking.

Instead, traditional Welsh food largely represents working class in Wales. Welsh cuisine focuses on what the working class could produce or afford, and recipes were passed down orally in the families of the working class. As a result, you can learn a lot about your heritage through food if you have Welsh ancestors.

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