Anyone else a sucker for a good name?

lrw0250

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 May 2012
Messages
463
Location
Fife
Visit site
I was just using yours as an example but glad it's useful!

Welsh is surprisingly easy once you get your head around the noise certain combinations of letters make as it never changes like English does. A "dd" is always pronounced as a "th" like you'd say it in "the, this and that" while a "th" is always like the "th" in thatch, think and through. Like wise a single "f" is always pronounced as a "v" (there is no v in Welsh) you would in "of" while a double "ff" is always pronounced as an "f" as in "off". You don't have to make the judgement of how to pronounce it as the language differentiates for you....Having said that, I get the difficulty of "ll" and "ch" if you've not grown up saying them, there's a knack to it! (which reminds me and no silent letters in Welsh - if you see it, say it!)

Can you let me know how Gwuaniarll should be pronounced please? Its by section A's prefix and seeing you mention "ll" makes me thing I have been saying it wrong!
 

Annagain

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 December 2008
Messages
15,545
Visit site
Can you let me know how Gwuaniarll should be pronounced please? Its by section A's prefix and seeing you mention "ll" makes me thing I have been saying it wrong!

Are you sure that's how it's spelt? I think it might be Gwauniarll?

The Gwaun bit (meaning Heath) would like "wine" with a "g" in front of it. The iarll bit (meaning Earl so the prefix would be Earlsheath) is a bit harder to explain in English. "iar" would be like "car" with a "y" instead of the "c" then you need to add the "ll" sound to the end. This has no equivalent in English. To pronounce the "ll" put your tongue behind your top teeth and give a short sharp blow either side of your tongue....so Gwine-yarll. If you really struggle with the "ll" an l would do the job :)

ETA - As a Scot you might be ok with the "ll" sound as there are similar sounds in Gaelic?
 

ester

Not slacking multitasking
Joined
31 December 2008
Messages
60,260
Location
Cambridge
Visit site
Nothing more amusing than having to use your horse's passported welsh name for competitions cos they say you have to.
Waundafydd glyndwr
I use Frank when I can ;)
 

Annagain

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 December 2008
Messages
15,545
Visit site
Nothing more amusing than having to use your horse's passported welsh name for competitions cos they say you have to.
Waundafydd glyndwr
I use Frank when I can ;)

Even in Wales I hear commentators really struggle with some names. They're ok with some of the prefixes that are also place names (like Aberaeron) as they've heard them in general conversation but anything slightly more obscure and you can sense the panic in their voices! Dafydd is one of the ones that people struggle with and I really don't understand why as it's pretty simple (first syllable rhymes with "Cav" and 2nd rhymes with "with") and quite a well known name. Little Britain getting it wrong probably doesn't help!
 

lrw0250

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 May 2012
Messages
463
Location
Fife
Visit site
Are you sure that's how it's spelt? I think it might be Gwauniarll?

The Gwaun bit (meaning Heath) would like "wine" with a "g" in front of it. The iarll bit (meaning Earl so the prefix would be Earlsheath) is a bit harder to explain in English. "iar" would be like "car" with a "y" instead of the "c" then you need to add the "ll" sound to the end. This has no equivalent in English. To pronounce the "ll" put your tongue behind your top teeth and give a short sharp blow either side of your tongue....so Gwine-yarll. If you really struggle with the "ll" an l would do the job :)

ETA - As a Scot you might be ok with the "ll" sound as there are similar sounds in Gaelic?

Yes, sorry spelling went a bit astray! That is really helpful, thanks so much!
 

ester

Not slacking multitasking
Joined
31 December 2008
Messages
60,260
Location
Cambridge
Visit site
Waundafydd is on the outskirts of cardiff :)

One that always gets me are the Dafydd Du's of which there are many of each prefix.
I always want to call them daffy duck for some reason :D
 

Annagain

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 December 2008
Messages
15,545
Visit site
Waundafydd is on the outskirts of cardiff :)

One that always gets me are the Dafydd Du's of which there are many of each prefix.
I always want to call them daffy duck for some reason :D

Really? I've never heard of it and I only live 5 miles out of Cardiff! Is it a place name or just the stud name?
 

ester

Not slacking multitasking
Joined
31 December 2008
Messages
60,260
Location
Cambridge
Visit site
My bad, maybe bridgend ;) and 'place' might be pushing it, it might be very small/just the road perhaps!? it doesn't seem to come up on maps but does on property description addresses as waun dafydd.
I think on his passport it is waundafydd farm, waundafydd, rest of address here. Small stud though think 80s/early 90s.
http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/40541080#AIkdR7Ps3kpS7Poc.97
 

ester

Not slacking multitasking
Joined
31 December 2008
Messages
60,260
Location
Cambridge
Visit site
down the bottom of this lane apparently :D
3275635_f0b6d3a7.jpg
 

vam

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 April 2009
Messages
2,582
Location
West Sussex
Visit site
No too keen on human names for animals, I know a few that really suit them thou so I guess it depends. My mare was called Jooly (Julie) but I know a lot of Julie's can couldn't bring myself to call it out over the field so she was shorten to Jools.

Pyecombe pick a theme each year to stable name their foals. I was looking at the 4 yos and they were the sweet year so names like bounty, kit kat, whisper, crunchy, oreo etc. I also liked the year they named them after cartoon characters, Kermit, Scooby, Shaggy etc. They also picked a year and named them after boozy drinks...
 

The Bouncing Bog Trotter

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 December 2008
Messages
1,962
Location
East Sussex
Visit site
First pony was called Ort - by Oredan out of Revel Trifle. People always asked me what the rest of his name was.

Wonder Cob is named after a Bon Jovi Song, and coincidentally little pony's name is also a song title and she is out of a mare called Melody - both came with their names.

I also have a Dunmanson - because he is the son of the dun connemara Templebready Fear Bui - although I suppose he should be called buckskinson if being really correct.

I like human names for my other animals hence having a bengal called Eric and a bearded dragon called Cleo. The chickens don't get names but the Cockerel is always called Egbert Nobacon.
 

Bright_Spark

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 October 2006
Messages
3,111
Location
Hampshire
Visit site
Yes I'm a sucker for a cute name too.

I fell in love a pony because it was called Colin! Still wish I could have got him. I really want a Brian, Jethro or Horatio!

On the other hand names like Goldie, Spot etc are a bit boring for me (no offence to anyone with pets with those names). I think my Amber's name is a bit boring but didn't want to change it. It suits her though as she is semi-precious about things :p
 
Top