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- Title
Attitude to the planned development of Welsh.
- Authors
Lewis, E. Glyn
- Abstract
This article discusses the development of Welsh language. From the middle of the sixth century, the Brythonic branch of Celtic had begun to separate into independent languages. The grammars used by the bards treated the minutiae of different types of syllables and their quality, as well as the structure of the language and the acceptable tropes and figures. Wales possessed a considerable literary language common to all regions. This unification was not fortuitous but the result of a conscious, deliberate, and well-organized uniformly directed effort. Bearing in mind the planning of other languages such as Norwegian, Estonian, Turkish, etc., it is hardly conceivable that the development of Welsh should not be attributed at least in part to language planning. But for deliberate and conscious manipulation the Welsh language, left to itself, would have deteriorated beyond redemption, save as a patois. On the other hand, scholars have favored planning. Welsh is used very extensively in the agricultural occupations, especially in Welsh-speaking areas of the north and southwest. Many organizations have been setup to promote the Welsh language, though the majority have ceased to function after a relative short period of activity.
- Subjects
ORTHOGRAPHY &; spelling; WELSH language; BRYTHONIC languages; LANGUAGE planning; MANIPULATIVE behavior
- Publication
International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 1987, Vol 1987, Issue 66, p11
- ISSN
0165-2516
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1515/ijsl.1987.66.11