South Walian Words-Valleys' Dialect [2] Quiz

Answer: A narrow passage between buildings.

'Gwli' is quite simply, another name for a 'lane'. In my home town, people always seem to take their dog for a walk 'down the gwli'.

Answer: Telling tales.

I love this word. It comes from the Welsh 'cario clecs', which means to tell tales or lies.

Answer: To crouch down.

'Twti-down' is the strangest example of South Walian dialect that I can think of, and is guaranteed to raise the eyebrows of any non-native. It can also be referred to as 'cwpi down'.

Answer: You have a scratch mark.

In my opinion, the word 'scram' isn't really all that different to the word 'scratch'. Yet it still manages to confuse people. I wonder if there are any other variations of this word that I haven't heard of. If so, please let me know and I will add them to here for other FunTrivia members to read.

Answer: Trouble.

As a child I was definitely a "daddy's girl", and I used to delight in winding my poor old mother up. However, once she had finally reached the end of her tether she would utter the most ominous words, 'You just wait until your father gets home. There'll be ructions then, my girl, just you wait!' This would immediately stop me in my tracks and the rest of my day would then be spent sitting on the stairs, waiting quietly for my father to get home. Looking back on it now, I realise that it was a stroke of genius on my mother's part, as she got to carry on with her day in peace and quiet, while I 'considered the error of my ways'.

Moreover she rarely did tell my father that I had been bad. I guess she thought I had already been punished enough. Nice one mam. I will certainly have to remember to use that trick in the future.

Answer: No

The words 'twp' and 'twpsyn' come directly from the Welsh language, and like many other examples of South Walian dialect they have infiltrated the day-to-day language of non-Welsh speakers and Welsh speakers alike. Both of these words mean 'stupid' or 'silly', but 'twp' is used as an adjective, while 'twpsyn' is a noun.

They are both derogatory words, and yet in South Wales they can sometimes be used with affection and humour. My father always used these terms affectionately, (I hope!), when I was a child and came out with some of the most unusual phrases I have ever heard.

His favourite sentence was, (and still is), 'You are too twp to cut cabbage', which to this very day, continues to baffle me.

Answer: Hide and Seek.

'Mob' is very similar to 'Hide and Seek' in the sense that one person sets out to find the individuals who are hiding from them. Traditionally, in 'Hide and Seek', those who are hiding remain static until they are found, while in 'Mob' they are free to run around and change their position.

The game can literally take hours, and you can never be sure who to trust, because as soon as someone is found they join the race to discover everyone else. Therefore if you are the last one to be found, you will be hunted by the rest of the individuals playing the game.

Answer: A sulk.

I use this phrase daily, and it is always my first choice over words such as 'pouting' or 'sulking'. Weirdly, I also use the word 'cob' to describe the knots or tangles I encounter whenever I brush my hair. I often wonder if anyone else uses 'cob' instead of 'knot' or 'tangle' as I have not heard it enough to be able to say confidently that it is part of the South Walian dialect. Please let me know if you have any comments.

Answer: Cariad.

There are so many endearments used by people today. Some people despise them, some love them. Nevertheless, 'cariad' is an example of one endearment that comes straight out of the Welsh dictionary, and it means 'love'. There are also various others, such as 'bach', meaning 'little one' and 'babi' which means 'baby'.

Answer: Wenglish.

As a fluent speaker of both Welsh and English I find 'Wenglish' fascinating. There are just so many wonderful words that have been created. In fact, I would love to hear your own examples of 'Wenglish', so please let me know of any 'Wenglish' words that I have not covered.