Those pesky Welsh place-names!

[Mavals]

Many many years ago when I was at college, I shared a room with a Welsh student who taught me how to say a number of Welsh place names, including the LlanfairPG, and I continue to impress Welsh friends with the accuracy of my pronunciation 

I do so agree that it is impolite not to at least make the effort to pronounce accurately - but as for  using the term "English" research when other countries are included displays a level of ignorance that is inexcusable in a tutor!

I think Milngavie  is Gaelic written in Scots. Gaelic only has eighteen letters and is pronounced as spelled you just have to learn the letters, not how they are pronounced in English.

Skoosh.

Shortly before I retired I worked with  Polish volunteer who spoke excellent English, but I managed to confuse him with Milngavie, Mousehole, cough, bough, broach and brooch, and the surname Featherstonehaugh amongst others and then discussed how difficult a language it is to learn.

Sylvia
PS in case you re wondering, its Fanshaw

[kevinf2349]

In fairness I think it is a little unfair to expect someone to be able to correctly pronounce a place name until they have heard it, that having been said, I think if I was going to include it in a presentation I would make an extra effort to hear it pronounced. The Googler is a wonderful thing

I am sure there are plenty of English town names that would give people fits too...Towcester, Bicester, Leicester, Worcester, Chop Gate, Cowpen Bewley spring to mind....especially if you try to pronounce them as they are spelled (and I was taught to 'sound it out' at school )

Kevin

[Skoosh]

It's been the misfortune of the ancient Celtic languages to share these islands with the onward march of English, which is a kind of Germanic/Latin pidgin, but has been so succesful globally.
 Astonishingly they're still hanging on in there despite everything, long may they continue.

[Lydart]

So .... how do you pronounce  Milngavie ??

[Skoosh]

"Mul-guy", Lydart, possibly from the Gaelic, muileann na gaoithe, windmill. But then again half the place-names in the south of Scotland, then the kingdom of Strathclyde, are of Welsh origin. Anybody know the Welsh for windmill. Gaelic for house is Taigh, pronounced tie, which is much like Welsh I believe.

Skoosh.

[pipscwic]

Wesh
Melin  is  mill
Gwynt  is wind
Combine the two, so should be:   Melin gwynt,  but no the dreaded mutations come in and it changes to melin wynt.

[wrjones]

I wonder how people from outside Wales would pronounce the place where I live and have lived all my soon to be 59 years;Cefn Mawr?

William Russell Jones.

[Skoosh]

How about kefin mor William, presumably Mawr is big, as in Gaelic Mor?

Skoosh.

[wrjones]

Yes Skoosh,Mawr is big and Cefn is back.It should be said as;Kefvun Mowr.The un as in unknown and the mow as in owe for pain!

William Russell Jones