NationStates Jolt Archive

Well, it's Saint David's Day today, so what are you doing? Did you know it was Saint David's Day? Do you even know who Saint David is?

He's from the valleys, he is.

Lush.

never heard of him.

I'm working, for 18 hours, like on most sundays.

yeah hes that bloke who's gonna save the Welsh and such (I bet St George could kick his arse)

I'm not Welsh so I think I will pass on the typical Welsh traditions of having fucking hills everywhere and weather that is permanently on its period

Do you guys get a National Holiday or Something like the Scots do?

To be honest we need like One Patron Saint for the whole country.

yeah hes that bloke who's gonna save the Welsh and such (I bet St George could kick his arse)

I'm not Welsh so I think I will pass on the typical Welsh traditions of having fucking hills everywhere and weather that is permanently on its period

Sounds like my home in the US...

To be honest we need like One Patron Saint for the whole country.

Terry Wogans not dead yet :(

Sounds like my home in the US...

is it fun to drive through on the way to the English border? (so long as you stay in the car)

To be honest we need like One Patron Saint for the whole country.

That won't work, mainly because as soon as the 4 countries go their separate ways, that saint will be obsolete.

is it fun to drive through on the way to the English border? (so long as you stay in the car)

I think you'd need a passport and a submarine to manage that drive though.

To be honest is more fun to drive away from here.

Terry Wogans not dead yet :(


Surely thats a good thing. Though when he's gone why the hell not...

That won't work, mainly because as soon as the 4 countries go their separate ways, that saint will be obsolete.

Despite what many believe I dont think that the Union will ever become brokern again. The SNP and Alex Sammond will never suceed. I mean Alex Sammond as your PM or President is never going to happen. By the way when the Scottish say they want independance do they want to become a Republic or keep the Monarchy?

Little fact for you. St David is the only patron saint of the British Isles to have been born in the country he is a patron of.

I can't say I'm celebrating it much since I've had to drown my sorrows over the weekend.

Hey, they sainted one of the Friends stars! :p

yeah hes that bloke who's gonna save the Welsh and such (I bet St George could kick his arse)

I'm not Welsh so I think I will pass on the typical Welsh traditions of having fucking hills everywhere and weather that is permanently on its period

Don't forget all the words without any proper vowels. I mean, seriously, "crwth"?

Anyway, while I had no idea it was St. David's Day, I bid a happy one to all who celebrate it. (What are you supposed to do on St. David's Day, anyway?)

(What are you supposed to do on St. David's Day, anyway?)

The same thing we do every day, Binky; try to take over the world....

I didn't know it was St. David's Day and I don't know who St. David was or what he did to become a saint.

(What are you supposed to do on St. David's Day, anyway?)

i thought u were supposed to eat leeks or somthing? or look at sheep?

The same thing we do every day, Binky; try to take over the world....

Are you pondering what I'm pondering?

Rydw yn hoffi Dewi Sant!

(waits for fluent Welsh speaker to pick apart my appalling grammar....)

Anyway, I'm genuinely fond of Saint David, and his city St. Davids (Tyddewi - house of David - in Welsh), which also happens to be the smallest Cathedral City in the UK. I used to spend large parts of the year working in North Pembrokeshire, Wales, so it's a part of the UK I know well.

Here's a link to the wikipedia page on the Saint:

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

St. David is unusual for a Celtic Welsh saint in being recognised by the Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox churches. He's also the only patron saint of any of the four traditional nations of the British Isles (England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales) to have been born in the country of which he was patron. Even St. Patrick was originally a Welsh speaker (probably) from what's now Cumbria in England (probably).


The tiny cathedral city of St. David's is a remarkable place. One of the things that makes it such an interesting place to visit is that the medieval cathedral lies in a hollow so as to make the location less visible to coastal sea raiders. This means you can't see one of the largest buildings in rural Pembrokeshire until you're practically on top of it.

Here's a link to the wikipedia page on the city:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_David%27s

Rydw yn hoffi Dewi Sant!

(waits for fluent Welsh speaker to pick apart my appalling grammar....)


I'm not fluent by any means, and you are mostly right. Just the first part that's mangled a little. I think you mean Rydw i'n (or rydw i yn). And I forget how to properly mutate it etc. I usually just lean heavily on dw i'n which works widely and gets you understood.

Don't forget all the words without any proper vowels. I mean, seriously, "crwth"?

Or the gigantic ones, such as Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

Are you pondering what I'm pondering?

I don't know Dwayne, are you pondering cheese sticks?

I wasn't aware that yesterday was St David's Day. But in honour of it anyway I will have the national dish of Wales, grilled cheeseon toast

Or the gigantic ones, such as Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

That's not so much a Welsh "tradition" as it is a Welsh "marketing gimmick".

Anyway, everyone calls it Llanfair PG. I'm going to bet that traveling on the train that goes past there you won't hear anyone say anything like "Oh yeah, Mom, I'm on the 9:47, and we just passed Llanfairpwllgwyngyllrandomjumbleoflongassnamelolz."

I wore my yellow, just like my Welsh grandparents taught me to. :D

Well, it's Saint David's Day today, so what are you doing? Did you know it was Saint David's Day? Do you even know who Saint David is?

haven't the slightest idea. the one who slew goliath maybe? damd sure hope it isn't letterman.

Hmmm, he's the only patron saint in the UK and Ireland that's actually a native to the country. The other one who comes closest is St Patrick.

I'm not fluent by any means, and you are mostly right. Just the first part that's mangled a little. I think you mean Rydw i'n (or rydw i yn). And I forget how to properly mutate it etc. I usually just lean heavily on dw i'n which works widely and gets you understood.

Ah well, I tried. And I was reasonably close. Just a letter and an apostrophe off in the end (though yes, I appreciate the difference that makes in written Welsh).

I don't think 'Dewi' nor 'Sant' mutate in this context. 'D' can take a soft or nasal mutation, but 'S' doesn't mutate at all; I'm reasonably certain that a masculine noun directly after a verb, and with no qualifiers, prepositions or adjectives, doesn't mutate.

The rest of NSG is probably wondering what the hell we're going on about.

Hmmm, he's the only patron saint in the UK and Ireland that's actually a native to the country. The other one who comes closest is St Patrick.

Which I already pointed out in post 20 ;-)

Is this a reason for me to drink?

Is this a reason for me to drink?

If March 17th is reason enough for people all over the world to drink than I can't see why March 1st isn't.

Ah well, I tried. And I was reasonably close. Just a letter and an apostrophe off in the end (though yes, I appreciate the difference that makes in written Welsh).

I don't think 'Dewi' nor 'Sant' mutate in this context. 'D' can take a soft or nasal mutation, but 'S' doesn't mutate at all; I'm reasonably certain that a masculine noun directly after a verb, and with no qualifiers, prepositions or adjectives, doesn't mutate.

I have to admit doing some quick googling to check. I tend to avoid Rydw etc because it tends to be a bit strange. Dw i'n is simplistic but easier to remember, especially if you divide them like I do (use just dw i'n for I, Rydw for we etc. Thankfully you can lean on wedi and mynd for past and future tense).

I think you're right about Dewi, but I've long run away from trying to mutate Welsh properly.


The rest of NSG is probably wondering what the hell we're going on about.

Good:)


Which I already pointed out in post 20 ;-)
And I beat you to at post 13:tongue: Take that Mr Fry.

I have to admit doing some quick googling to check. I tend to avoid Rydw etc because it tends to be a bit strange. Dw i'n is simplistic but easier to remember, especially if you divide them like I do (use just dw i'n for I, Rydw for we etc. Thankfully you can lean on wedi and mynd for past and future tense).

I know you're right - the problem I have is that when I took Welsh lessons several years ago, our teacher insisted on emphasising the more literary form over the colloquial spoken form, while nonetheless trying to allow us to work in both.

Ultimately, I'm not sure she succeeded at either.


I think you're right about Dewi, but I've long run away from trying to mutate Welsh properly.

I'm on slightly firmer ground there. So long as I remember the most common uses of the soft mutation (feminine nouns after the definite article, most nouns or adjectives after 'yn', most words following most prepositions, most nouns after dau/dwy) for p, t, c, d, b, g, m, ll, and rh, then I at least give the impression that I'm making an effort.

The nasal and aspirate mutations are rare enough that I just pretend they don't exist and hope for the best.

I'm sending my Eastern-European born (and accented) Australian citizen in-laws off to Caernarfon and St. Davids in September. I think I might arm them with a few stock phrases just to see the reaction from the locals to someone saying 'diolch yn fawr' in a thick Russian accent...

And I beat you to at post 13:tongue: Take that Mr Fry.

So you did. Good for you, Mr. Laurie.