Nadolig Llawen

[Derek]

Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda (welsh for A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year)to all of you on X Marks. Derek & Elaine

[Rob]

"Nadelek Lauen ha Bledhin Niweth Mat"
(Happy Christmas and a Good New Year), kilted of course.

For those of you unfamiliar with the language, it is Old Devonian. I bet no one has heard of that one before. I hadn't until I read a book about it.

Rob

[JazzKiltz]

I love finding out about new (to me) languages! I've never heard of Old Devonian before. Only been to Wales once. On tour - lots of concerts, clubs and riding in a bus. Not so much time for seeing anything.

Any clues on how to pronounce either of these holiday greetings?

[bigbaldhead]

I love finding out about new (to me) languages!

me too!! i was a Classics major in college and so have latin and Greek firmly under my belt, but i just can't get enough of languages in general. i have finally started a project that i've wanted to undertake for many years now...working back through middle and old english to anglo-saxon and Old high german up through to modern german...i'm currently making the jump from middle english to old and am just having a grand old time. it'll take me many years to complete it, but it really is an exciting way to get into the language...probably more info than anyone wanted...oh well.

be well,

-danny

[Tim Walker]

Diolch yn fawr!

(Looked that up in a glossary for a mystery novel by Rhys Bowen).

[GMan]

Derek,

I want to say thank you also, but I like Tim do not know how to say it in Welsh.

So I want to say to you and Elaine Thank You and Nadolig Llawen back to you.

[Rob]

I love finding out about new (to me) languages! I've never heard of Old Devonian before. Only been to Wales once. On tour - lots of concerts, clubs and riding in a bus. Not so much time for seeing anything.

Any clues on how to pronounce either of these holiday greetings?

JazzKiltz,

The following link gives a bit more information about Old Devonian (or Westcountry Brythonic, as it is also known):-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westcountry_Brythonic

It had evolved into Cornish and Breton by the 9th century AD, but a derivitive of it (maybe an early form of Cornish) was spoken in Devon (and maybe Somerset) until the 14th century.

As an aid to pronunciation, 'dh' is pronounced 'th' as in 'that', and 'th' is pronounced 'th' as in 'think'. The rest is pretty much phonetic.

It is interesting to note that Cornwall, Devon and Somerset all have their own district tartans, from which kilts can be made.

Rob (Devonian Ambassador to Xmarks )

[awoodfellow]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/learnwelsh/

enjoy

ambrose

[Graham]

diolch, Derek, and the same to you

[macwilkin]

And a Nollaig chridheil huibh (Merry Christmastide in Scots Gaelic) to you and yours, Derek! And a Happy Hogmanay as well!!

Cheers,

T.