Y Fro Gymraeg (literally 'The Welsh Language Area', pronounced ) is a name often used to refer to the linguistic area in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

where the

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language of the 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 Province, Argentina). Historically, it has ...

is used by the majority or a large part of the population; it is the heartland of the Welsh language and comparable in that respect to the

Gàidhealtachd The (; English: ''Gaeldom'') usually refers to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and especially the Scottish Gaelic-speaking culture of the area. The similar Irish language word refers, however, solely to Irish-speaking areas. The term ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

and

Gaeltacht ( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially reco ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. However, unlike its equivalent in Ireland, Y Fro Gymraeg does not have official government recognition.

The importance of Y Fro Gymraeg

The importance of Y Fro Gymraeg to the rest of Wales was formulated over a few months by a Bangor college lecturer,

Owain Owain Owain Owain (11 December 1929 – 19 December 1993) was a Welsh novelist, short-story writer and poet. He also founded '' Tafod y Ddraig'' (The Dragon's Tongue), which became the Welsh Language Society's main voice from its birth in the 1960 ...

, in January 1964, when he published in his ''

Tafod y Ddraig ''Tafod y Ddraig'' (which translates as "The Dragon's Tongue", ), or ''Tafod'', is a monthly Welsh language magazine dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the Welsh language. This magazine was the only voice of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymr ...

'' magazine a map outlining Y Fro.(Welsh language
''Tafod y Ddraig'' / ''The Dragon's Tongue'', Vol 4; January 1964
/ref> In an article dated 12 November 1964, he wrote: ''Enillwn y Fro Gymraeg, ac fe enillir Cymru, ac oni enillir Y Fro Gymraeg, nid Cymru a enillir'' ("We win Y Fro Gymraeg, and Wales will be won, and unless Y Fro Gymraeg is won, it is not Wales that will be won").

Areas within Y Fro Gymraeg

The Welsh-speaking, Welsh identifying group is perhaps most distinctive and largely centred upon the north and west of Wales. This area is designated y Fro Gymraeg. The Welsh-identifying, non-Welsh-speaking group is most prevalent in the traditional south Wales area and labelled Welsh Wales. The British identifying non- Welsh speaking group dominates the remainder of Wales, described therefore as British Wales.

A generation or two ago one could say that almost all of western Wales, from

Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...

to parts of Pembrokeshire and

Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as ...

, lay in the ''Bro'', and that it also included significant parts of western

Powys Powys (; ) is a county and preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh successor state, petty kingdom and principality that emerged during the Middle Ages following the end of Roman rule in Britain. Geog ...

and of the former county of Clwyd, but today the territory of the language as a majority language has shrunk. A substantial portion of four Welsh counties lies within ''Y Fro Gymraeg'', which also includes other communities in surrounding counties. The four main counties with a majority of Welsh-speaking inhabitants are Gwynedd, Carmarthenshire (''Sir Gaerfyrddin'' in Welsh),

Ceredigion Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Cer ...

and Anglesey (''Ynys Môn''), although even in these counties one cannot say that every town and village is a Welsh stronghold. Surrounding areas often included in the ''Bro'', with a significant percentage of Welsh speakers, include parts of

Neath Port Talbot Neath Port Talbot ( cy, Castell-nedd Port Talbot) is a county borough in the south-west of Wales. Its principal towns are Neath, Port Talbot, Briton Ferry and Pontardawe. The county borough borders Bridgend County Borough and Rhondda Cynon Taf ...

(''Castell-nedd Port Talbot''), parts of western Powys, northern Pembrokeshire (''Sir Benfro''), the uplands of

Conwy Conwy (, ), previously known in English as Conway, is a walled market town, community and the administrative centre of Conwy County Borough in North Wales. The walled town and castle stand on the west bank of the River Conwy, facing Deganwy on ...

, the uplands and countryside of

Denbighshire Denbighshire ( ; cy, Sir Ddinbych; ) is a county in the north-east of Wales. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name. This part of Wales contains the country's oldest known evidence of habitation – Pontnewydd (Bontnewy ...

(''Sir Ddinbych''),

Flintshire , settlement_type = County , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = , image_flag = , image_shield = Arms of Flint ...

(''Sir y Fflint'') and parts of the district of Swansea (''Abertawe'').

Education in Y Fro Gymraeg

Education in Y Fro Gymraeg is generally through the medium of Welsh, which accounts for about 70% of the school timetable, on average.

References

External links

Map by the Welsh Language Board of percentage of people who said they could speak Welsh (2001)
{{Geographical distribution of languages Welsh language Geography of Wales Demographics of Wales Linguistic regions of Europe

The importance of Y Fro Gymraeg

Areas within Y Fro Gymraeg

Education in Y Fro Gymraeg

See also

References

External links