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== Surnames==

== Surnames==

Welsh-derived surnames are common in the United States. The Welsh name ''Jones'' is in fact the fourth commonest surname in the U. S.<ref>Smith, Johnson and Williams ranking first, second and third</ref>; within the hundred commonest surnames, the Welsh names Evans, Edward, Morgan, and Jenkins rank 48th, 49th, 57th, and 83rd respectively.<ref>[http://names.mongabay.com/most_common_surnames.htm Most Common Surnames in the U. S.], website which claims its source is the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Population Analysis & Evaluation Staff</ref> Names beginning with a double L, such as ''Lloyd'' and ''Llewellyn'' are almost certain to be Welsh, as is ''Floyd'' (the "Fl" being an attempt to imitate the sound of the Welsh double-L. Also common are surnames with an initial "p" such as Prichard, Powell, and Pugh, which comes from the Welsh ''ap'', meaning "son of."

Welsh-derived surnames are common in the United States. The Welsh name ''Jones'' is in fact the fourth commonest surname in the U. S.;<ref>Smith, Johnson and Williams ranking first, second and third</ref> within the hundred commonest surnames, the Welsh names Evans, Edward, Morgan, and Jenkins rank 48th, 49th, 57th, and 83rd respectively.<ref>[http://names.mongabay.com/most_common_surnames.htm Most Common Surnames in the U. S.], website which claims its source is the U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Population Analysis & Evaluation Staff</ref> Names beginning with a double L, such as ''Lloyd'' and ''Llewellyn'' are almost certain to be Welsh, as is ''Floyd'' (the "Fl" being an attempt to imitate the sound of the Welsh double-L. Also common are surnames with an initial "p" such as Prichard, Powell, and Pugh, which comes from the Welsh ''ap'', meaning "son of."

== Alphabet ==

== Alphabet ==

Although it should be noted that the Welsh Alphabet uses the same characters as English (indeed both are examples of the Latin Alphabet) direct comparisons cannot always be made between the two.  Welsh developed as an oral language with no corresponding written language and so, when it did develop a written language, it was developed in the written alphabet of the time, the Latin Alphabet.  Of principle differences it should be noted that unlike English, Welsh has seven vowels, comprising of A, E, I, O, U, W and Y (occasionally h) .  In addition, certain sounds in Welsh are represented in the Latin Alphabet by two characters but are considered to be only one letter.  In truth this makes little practical difference in everday use but is of use in such things as crosswords (where, for instance, the letter ''ff'' would occupy one space).  In addition the Welsh alphabet has sounds (phones {speech sounds}) that do not occur in either English or American English.  Listed below is the Welsh alphabet, along with the name of the letter as prounced in Welsh (which varies compared to how it is pronounced in English) and a (rough) guide to pronounciation.

Although it should be noted that the Welsh Alphabet uses the same characters as English (indeed both are examples of the Latin Alphabet) direct comparisons cannot always be made between the two.  Welsh developed as an oral language with no corresponding written language and so, when it did develop a written language, it was developed in the written alphabet of the time, the Latin Alphabet.  Of principle differences it should be noted that unlike English, Welsh has seven vowels, comprising of A, E, I, O, U, W and Y (occasionally h) .  In addition, certain sounds in Welsh are represented in the Latin Alphabet by two characters but are considered to be only one letter.  In truth this makes little practical difference in everday use but is of use in such things as crosswords (where, for instance, the letter ''ff'' would occupy one space).  In addition the Welsh alphabet has sounds (phones {speech sounds}) that do not occur in either English or American English.  Listed below is the Welsh alphabet, along with the name of the letter as prounced in Welsh (which varies compared to how it is pronounced in English) and a (rough) guide to pronounciation.

A, a  : {Name = â)    '''Short''' = a, as in Mam (Welsh version of Mum or Mom) or Slam.  '''Long'''  = a as in Mad, aaa! (an exclaimation), but never ah as in Lard or bard

A, a  : (Name = â)    '''Short''' = a, as in Mam (Welsh version of Mum or Mom) or Slam.  '''Long'''  = a as in Mad, aaa! (an exclaimation), but never ah as in Lard or bard

B, b  : (Name = bî)    b, as in Boy, Butter, etc.

B, b  : (Name = bî)    b, as in Boy, Butter, etc.

H, h  : (Name = âets,hâ) h, as in Hat, Hope, Hero.

H, h  : (Name = âets,hâ) h, as in Hat, Hope, Hero.

I, i  : (Name = î (North Wales), î dot (South Wales)) '''Short''' = i, as in fit, kit, pit<ref>http://www.cs.cf.ac.uk/fun/welsh/Lesson01.html</ref>, however, due to pronunciation differences between dialects and regions the short form of 'i' can also be pronounced in the same way as the long form.  '''Long'''  = ee, as in Seen, Dean, Mean.

I, i  : (Name = î (North Wales), î dot (South Wales)) '''Short''' = i, as in fit, kit, pit,<ref>http://www.cs.cf.ac.uk/fun/welsh/Lesson01.html</ref>  however, due to pronunciation differences between dialects and regions the short form of 'i' can also be pronounced in the same way as the long form.  '''Long'''  = ee, as in Seen, Dean, Mean.

Strictly speaking there is no 'J' in the Welsh Alphabet, where a 'J' would appear in English the Latin form of replacing it with an 'I' occurs, so James becomes Iago in Welsh (as it does in Spanish) and Santiago or (Sant Iago) means Saint James in both Spanish and English.

Strictly speaking there is no 'J' in the Welsh Alphabet, where a 'J' would appear in English the Latin form of replacing it with an 'I' occurs, so James becomes Iago in Welsh (as it does in Spanish) and Santiago or (Sant Iago) means Saint James in both Spanish and English.

* Davies, Janet. ''The Welsh Language: A Pocket Guide'' (2005) 135pp

* Davies, Janet. ''The Welsh Language: A Pocket Guide'' (2005) 135pp

* Durkacz, Victor Edward. ''The Decline of the Celtic Languages: A Study of Linguistic and Cultural Conflict in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland from the Reformation to the Twentieth Century.'' (1983). 258 pp.

* Durkacz, Victor Edward. ''The Decline of the Celtic Languages: A Study of Linguistic and Cultural Conflict in Scotland, Wales, and Ireland from the Reformation to the Twentieth Century.'' (1983). 258 pp.

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[[Category: Celtic languages]]

[[Category:Celtic languages]]

[[category:Wales]]

[[Category:Wales]]