Yma o Hyd

The title is in Kernewek, as I continue to learn Cymraeg I have developed a deep interst in the original language of this country – Kernewek and Cymraeg separated into semi distinct languages around the 8th/9th century. In some ways Kerenwek is a regional Dialect of Cymraeg and the South West was original known as South Cymru. As well as learning Cymraeg I am also learning Gaeilge and Gàidhlig, So I think it is time to start learning Kernewek.

It is fabulous to know that even after so many centuries of cultural persecution and a deliberate attempt to wipe out these wonderful languages, that we still have them and that a fluent speaker in Cymraeg and a fluent speaker in Kernewek can understand each other today.

There are many places with names that have a Cymru origin – Pen y Ghent in Yorkshire is one. The name Cumbria derives from the Cymru name for that part of the world and had it’s own Cymru dialect – Cumbric – and still today some farmers will use an ancient counting system which is thought to be a dialect of Cymru to count their sheep on the fells. It is a huge loss to us all that Cumbric is now an extinct language. It is a fundamental loss of cultural history though there are on going attempts to regain this language…. learning these languages is great stuff and has a deep personal and gentic meaning to me. Hence the title.

Yma o hyd