Patagonian Welsh
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Patagonian Welsh (
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
: ''Cymraeg y Wladfa'') is a variety of the
Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language family, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut P ...
spoken in
Y Wladfa Y Wladfa (, "The Colony"), also occasionally Y Wladychfa Gymreig (, "The Welsh Settlement"), refers to the establishment of settlements by Welsh immigrants in Patagonia, beginning in 1865, mainly along the coast of the lower Chubut Valley. In ...
, the Welsh settlement in
Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and gl ...
,
Chubut Province Chubut ( es, Provincia del Chubut, ; cy, Talaith Chubut) is a province in southern Argentina, situated between the 42nd parallel south (the border with Río Negro Province), the 46th parallel south (bordering Santa Cruz Province), the Andes ra ...
,
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
. The decimal numeral system used in Modern Welsh originated in Patagonia in the 1870s, and was subsequently adopted in Wales in the 1940s as a simpler counterpart to the traditional
vigesimal vigesimal () or base-20 (base-score) numeral system is based on twenty (in the same way in which the decimal numeral system is based on ten). '' Vigesimal'' is derived from the Latin adjective '' vicesimus'', meaning 'twentieth'. Places In ...
system, which still survives in Wales. Teachers are sent to teach the language and to train local tutors in the Welsh language, and there is some prestige in knowing the language, even among those not of Welsh descent. Welsh education and projects are mainly funded by the
Welsh Government The Welsh Government ( cy, Llywodraeth Cymru) is the Welsh devolution, devolved government of Wales. The government consists of ministers and Minister (government), deputy ministers, and also of a Counsel General for Wales, counsel general. Minist ...
,
British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...
,
Cardiff University , latin_name = , image_name = Shield of the University of Cardiff.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms of Cardiff University , motto = cy, Gwirionedd, Undod a Chytgord , mottoeng = Truth, Unity and Concord , established = 1 ...
and the Welsh–Argentine Association. In 2005 there were 62 Welsh classes in the area and Welsh was taught as a subject in two primary schools and two colleges in the region of Gaiman. There is also a bilingual Welsh–Spanish language school called
Ysgol yr Hendre Ysgol yr Hendre () is a Welsh/Spanish-medium primary school in the large town of Trelew in Chubut Province, Argentina. It was opened on 6 March 2006, initially to teach children between three and five years of age in Welsh and Spanish. The Chubut e ...
situated in
Trelew Trelew (, from cy, tref "town" and the name of the founder, Lewis Jones) is a city in the eastern part of the Chubut Province of Argentina. Located in Patagonia, the city is the largest and most populous in the low valley of the Chubut River, wit ...
and a college located in
Esquel Esquel is a town in the northwest of Chubut Province in Argentine Patagonia. It is located in Futaleufú Department, of which it is the government seat. The town's name derives from one of two Tehuelche words: one meaning "marsh" and the other m ...
. In 2016 there were three bilingual Welsh–Spanish primary schools in Patagonia. Patagonian Welsh has developed to be a distinct dialect of Welsh, different from the several dialects used in Wales itself; however, speakers from Wales and Patagonia are able to communicate readily.
Toponyms Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of ''toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...
throughout the Chubut Valley are of Welsh origin. A total of 1,220 people undertook Welsh courses in Patagonia in 2015. The formal
Eisteddfod In Welsh culture, an ''eisteddfod'' is an institution and festival with several ranked competitions, including in poetry and music. The term ''eisteddfod'', which is formed from the Welsh morphemes: , meaning 'sit', and , meaning 'be', means, a ...
poetry competitions have been revived, although they are now bilingual in Welsh and Spanish.


History

The Welsh people first arrived in Patagonia in 1865. They had migrated to protect their native Welsh culture and language, which they considered to be threatened in their native
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
. Over the years the use of the language started to decrease and there was relatively little contact between Wales and the Chubut Valley. The situation began to change when many Welsh people visited the region in 1965 to celebrate the colony's centenary; since then the number of Welsh visitors increased. In 1945 and 1946 the
BBC World Service The BBC World Service is an international broadcasting, international broadcaster owned and operated by the BBC, with funding from the Government of the United Kingdom, British Government through the Foreign Secretary, Foreign Secretary's o ...
broadcast radio shows in Patagonian Welsh. During the 1982 repatriation of Argentine troops from the
Falklands war The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...
, some Welsh Guardsmen encountered Welsh-speaking Argentine soldiers. The detained troops were disembarked at Puerto Madryn. In 2004 the Welsh speakers in Argentina asked the Welsh government to provide them with Welsh TV programmes to encourage the survival and growth of Welsh in Patagonia.


Language uses


Language teaching nowadays

Around
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, 62 Welsh classes were taught in Chubut and language was also on the curriculum of a kindergarten, two primary schools and two schools in the area of Gaiman (including a school dating from 1899), as well as a bilingual Welsh-Spanish school located in
Trelew Trelew (, from cy, tref "town" and the name of the founder, Lewis Jones) is a city in the eastern part of the Chubut Province of Argentina. Located in Patagonia, the city is the largest and most populous in the low valley of the Chubut River, wit ...
and a school in
Esquel Esquel is a town in the northwest of Chubut Province in Argentine Patagonia. It is located in Futaleufú Department, of which it is the government seat. The town's name derives from one of two Tehuelche words: one meaning "marsh" and the other m ...
. Welsh classes in the
Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
region have been held since 1996. The Welsh Institute of
Trevelin Trevelin (; cy, Trefelin) is a town in the western part of the Patagonian provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Chubut Province, Chubut. The town lies on the eastern banks of the ( es, Río Percey). It is located in the department of Fut ...
and
Esquel Esquel is a town in the northwest of Chubut Province in Argentine Patagonia. It is located in Futaleufú Department, of which it is the government seat. The town's name derives from one of two Tehuelche words: one meaning "marsh" and the other m ...
was born from a joint project of the Assembly of Wales, the British Council and the Government of the Province of Chubut. Since the late 1990s, the Wales-Argentina Association has run a program to increase the teaching and use of the Welsh language in Chubut. For 15 years, the plan succeeded in creating a new type of Welsh-speakers in Patagonia (Welsh speakers as a second language, mostly young). By 1997, most of the students were adults and there was only one school for children. Four years later, there were 263 hours of Welsh classes per week and 846 students, of whom 87% were children and young people (in Gaiman, 95% of those attending such classes were under the age of twenty). One of the functions of the Wales-Argentina Association is also to organize teacher and student exchange trips between Wales and Argentina: it has a representative on the
British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...
's Welsh Teaching Project Commission which has sent Welsh teachers to Chubut and financially supports a student attending an intensive Welsh language course held annually. It also has links with colleges and schools in both Wales and Chubut, where it subsidizes and provides support to students. In May 2015, the local government of Trelew announced free intensive Welsh language classes for the city's inhabitants under the name of Cwrs Blasu ("Savoring the language"). Ann-Marie Lewis, a Welsh teacher, traveled to Patagonia exclusively to teach the language.


Welsh-Spanish bilingual schools

For the 150th anniversary of the colony, an association was created in
Trevelin Trevelin (; cy, Trefelin) is a town in the western part of the Patagonian provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Chubut Province, Chubut. The town lies on the eastern banks of the ( es, Río Percey). It is located in the department of Fut ...
to form the first Spanish-Welsh bilingual school in the 16 de Octubre valley under the name of Ysgol Gymraeg yr Andes, which will be public, but privately managed.


Literature and journalism

Poetry and literature books have been published since the early years of the colony, while the first newspapers, such as the ''Y Drafod'' (bilingual Welsh-Spanish) date from the
1890 Events January–March * January 1 ** The Kingdom of Italy establishes Eritrea as its colony, in the Horn of Africa. ** In Michigan, the wooden steamer ''Mackinaw'' burns in a fire on the Black River. * January 2 ** The steamship ...
s. Perhaps one of the main writers of the colony was
Eluned Morgan Eluned Morgan may refer to: *Eluned Morgan (author) (1870–1938), Welsh writer *Eluned Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Ely (born 1967), Welsh politician {{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Eluned ...
, author of several books, such as ''Into the Andes'' (in Welsh: ''Dringo 'r Andes'') are considered classics. While R. Bryn Williams, was another prominent writer, who won the presidency of the National Eisteddfod and was also the author of several novels, including ''Banddos de los Andes''. Among the writers in recent times, the figure of Irma Hughes de Jones can be observed. Several volumes of memoirs on Patagonia have been published, including ''Memorias de la Patagonia'' (1980) by R. Bryn Williams, which includes essays by many residents of the Colonia, ''Atracciones de la Patagonia'' (1984) by Mariano Elías, based on from interviews with Fred Green, ''Memories of Patagonia'' (1985) by Valmai Jones and ''Nel fach'' and ''bwcs'' (1992) by Margaret Lloyd Jones. Meanwhile, Sian Eirian Rees Davies won the Daniel Owen Memorial Prize in 2005 with ''I Fyd Sy Well'', a historical novel about the beginnings of the colony in Patagonia. Many extant books about the colony are in both Spanish and Welsh.


Eisteddfod

The
Eisteddfod In Welsh culture, an ''eisteddfod'' is an institution and festival with several ranked competitions, including in poetry and music. The term ''eisteddfod'', which is formed from the Welsh morphemes: , meaning 'sit', and , meaning 'be', means, a ...
is a very popular musical literary festival in Wales. With the arrival of settlers in Argentina, the festival also began in the region, which is celebrated twice a year until today. In September the Eisteddfod for young people is held in Gaiman and in October for adults. Also, they are made in Trevelin,
Dolavon Dolavon (Welsh: ''Dolafon'') is a small town in the Patagonian province of Chubut, Argentina. It has a population of 2,929 according to the . It is located close to the Chubut River, about to the west of Gaiman. The name comes from Welsh ''dô ...
and
Puerto Madryn Puerto Madryn (; cy, Porth Madryn), also known as ''Madryn'', is a city in the province of Chubut in Argentine Patagonia. It is the capital of the Viedma Department, and has about 93,995 inhabitants according to the last census in 2010. Puer ...
. Competitions are conducted in both Welsh and Spanish.


Vocabulary

The dialect contains local adoptions from Spanish or borrowings from English, not present in the Welsh spoken in Wales. For example, derives from in Spanish. is a grammatical mutation from .


Gallery of Welsh in Patagonia

File:"Abierto" sign in English and Welsh, Y Wladfa.JPG, / ''Open'' in Welsh and English in Trelew. File:TY GWYN.JPG, Tea house in Gaiman. File:Plaza de las Colectividades (4).JPG, Memorial to commemorate the centenary of Welsh settlement in Trelew. File:Asociación San David, Colonia Galesa del Chubut.JPG, St David's Society, Trelew. File:Cerrado - Ar Gau, Museo del Desembarco.JPG, ''Closed'' ( es, Cerrado, links=no) / ,
Puerto Madryn Puerto Madryn (; cy, Porth Madryn), also known as ''Madryn'', is a city in the province of Chubut in Argentine Patagonia. It is the capital of the Viedma Department, and has about 93,995 inhabitants according to the last census in 2010. Puer ...
.


Welsh toponymy of Patagonian sites

When the Welsh settlers arrived in Patagonia, they did not have immediate contact with the Tehuelche or
Mapuche The Mapuche ( (Mapuche & Spanish: )) are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, including parts of Patagonia. The collective term refers to a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who sha ...
natives, who already had their own toponymy for the region. Because of this, they needed to somehow distinguish the landscapes of their new home. Puerto Madryn was the first Welsh toponym. The name of the city commemorates
Love Jones Parry Love Jones-Parry may refer to: *Love Jones-Parry (British Army officer) (1781–1853), Welsh soldier and MP *Sir Love Jones-Parry, 1st Baronet Sir Thomas Duncombe Love Jones-Parry, 1st Baronet (5 January 1832 – 18 December 1891) was a Wel ...
, Baron of Madryn in Wales. The place name originated towards the end of 1862, when Love Jones Parry, accompanied by Lewis Jones traveled to Patagonia aboard the Candelaria ship to decide if that region was suitable for a Welsh colony. In the Chubut river valley, some of the toponyms of villages and rural areas arose from the peculiarities of the terrain (such as Bryn Gwyn, "white hill", or Tyr Halen, "salt land"), from the names of the farms donated by the Argentine government, or by a chapel erected in the area (as in the case of Bethesda or Ebenezer). There are also tributes to people, such as Trelew, where "Lew" is an acronym for Lewis Jones; or compound names derived from geographical features (for example, Dolavon, where “Dol” is meadow or lap and “avon”, river) or even from buildings (such as Trevelin, where “Tre” is town and “velin”, mill, for John Daniel Evans' flour mill). Some naming performed by the Welsh survive and others have been lost. In 2015 a project called Gorsedd y Cwmwl emerged, aimed at restoring the original name of the TRono de las Nubes hill given by the first Welsh people who inhabited the 16 de Octubre valley and forgotten by the population, since the mountain is also called «La Monja».


References

{{reflist Languages of Argentina Welsh settlement in Patagonia Welsh dialects