Long before the English language became dominant on the British Isles Celtic languages were the main method of communication. But since the middle of the nineteenth century they had been losing their influence due to the rapid process of anglicisation. And soon Celtic languages could only be found in the western regions of the British Isles. The situation has not changed until now.
Among the Celtic languages Welsh is considered to be the most survived one. Welsh is also the oldest language in Britain. It roots back at least 2.500 and possibly 4.000 years. Nowadays about 21 per cent of the population in Wales speak Welsh as their mother tongue. The native speakers of Welsh can be found mostly in the northern and western regions of the country whereas southern and eastern parts are throughout English speaking communities. (“History of the Welsh Language”) English which is spoken in these areas is influenced to some degree by Welsh. And as a result English spoken in Wales can be referred to as a dialect of the standard English language.
Welsh English has its own specific features, which differentiate this variety from other dialects of English. These features can be found on all linguistic levels, on phonetical, morphological, grammatical, syntactical. Welsh English is supposed to be very peculiar pnonetically having its well-known song-form intonation. At the same time a great range of differences are to be noticed in grammar, syntax and vocabulary usage. And so the aim of this paper is to show and analyse the grammatical, syntactical and lexical aspects of Welsh English on the example of a literary work written in this variety. For this purpose the collection of short stories “My Neighbours” by Welsh novelist of the 20th century Caradoc Evans was chosen. These short stories are full of dialogues, which present the everyday spoken Welsh English. There is no clear reference to a particular region where protagonists originate from. Conversations in the text comprise language peculiarities that can be found in different parts of Wales. Apart from the linguistic analysis some information on history and the present-day status of Welsh and English in Wales is given.
Due to the fact that Caradoc Evans as a Welsh writer is mainly known in Wales, and printed sources about himself and his creative life are to be found mostly in Wales, the information about the author and his works is based to a great extend on Internet sources.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Welsh English – Past and Present
2.1. Short History of Welsh English
2.2. Welsh English Today
3. Caradoc Evans and His World
4. “My Neighbours – the Lingustic Analysis”
5. Conclusion
7. List of Works Cited
Research Objectives and Topics
This paper aims to analyze the grammatical, syntactical, and lexical aspects of Welsh English through the lens of the short story collection "My Neighbours" by the 20th-century Welsh novelist Caradoc Evans. It seeks to identify specific linguistic peculiarities—such as inversion, the usage of the auxiliary "be," and direct loanwords—that characterize this regional variety of English, while also providing a historical and social context for the status of the Welsh language and its English-speaking communities.
- Historical evolution of the Welsh language and its decline due to anglicization.
- Distinctive phonetical, grammatical, and lexical features of Welsh English.
- The life and literary impact of Caradoc Evans as a "scourge of the Welsh."
- Linguistic analysis of inversion patterns and non-standard auxiliary usage in "My Neighbours."
- The role of bilingualism and cultural identity in contemporary Wales.
Excerpt from the Book
“My Neighbours – the Lingustic Analysis”
The collection of short stories “My Neighbours” by Caradoc Evans belong to Anglo-Welsh literature. Although the term “Anglo-Welsh” is of recent origin, writing in English by Welsh people can be found from the 15th century, reflecting the emergent bilingualism.The motivation for the label is plain enough – to avoid the ambiguity which would come from using the phrase “Welsh literature”, with its reference to literature written in Welsh. Most critics now allow the term “Anglo-Welsh” to a broad application, and include within it anyone who relates to Welsh literary, linguistic and cultural traditions., but who uses English in order to do so.(“Anglo-Welsh Literature.”)
“My Neighbours” introduces a variety of Welsh characters brightly described through the language they use.
The following examples show one of the most typical features of Welsh English, the inversion:
/Said the preacher: “Heavy was the punishment of the Big Man on Twm Cwm, persons, because Twm speeched against the capel. Was he not put in the coffin in his farm trowsis and jacket?” (“The Welsh People”)
Here the adjective “heavy” is placed before subject and predicate to emphasise the greatness of the God’s punishment. God is meant by the notion “Big Man”.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the survival of the Welsh language, its historical suppression, and the objective to analyze Welsh English via the literary work of Caradoc Evans.
2. Welsh English – Past and Present: This section details the historical decline of Welsh under English law, the impact of education and religion, and identifies contemporary characteristics of Welsh English.
3. Caradoc Evans and His World: This chapter covers the biography of Caradoc Evans, exploring how his childhood poverty and critical view of Welsh rural culture shaped his writing style.
4. “My Neighbours – the Lingustic Analysis”: This chapter provides an empirical analysis of linguistic features such as inversion, non-standard use of the verb "be," and vocabulary borrowings found within the text.
5. Conclusion: The concluding chapter summarizes that inversion and the continuous habitual use of the auxiliary "be" are defining features of the Welsh English found in the short stories.
7. List of Works Cited: A compilation of the digital and academic sources used to research the linguistic, historical, and biographical data presented in the study.
Keywords
Welsh English, Anglo-Welsh, Caradoc Evans, My Neighbours, Linguistics, Inversion, Bilingualism, Syntax, Grammar, Dialect, Welsh language, Loanwords, Sociolinguistics, Linguistic analysis, Literary studies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper focuses on identifying and analyzing the grammatical, syntactical, and lexical features of the Welsh English dialect as represented in the literary work of Caradoc Evans.
What are the central thematic areas covered?
The study examines the historical trajectory of the Welsh language, the social context of bilingualism in Wales, and the specific linguistic traits that distinguish Welsh English from standard English.
What is the core research objective?
The primary objective is to demonstrate how Welsh English reflects linguistic peculiarities, such as specific inversion patterns and borrowings, through the dialogue in "My Neighbours."
Which scientific method is employed?
The paper utilizes a qualitative linguistic analysis of a literary text, extracting concrete examples of non-standard usage and categorizing them based on their linguistic level (grammatical, syntactical, lexical).
What topics are discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the historical development of Welsh English, the biography of Caradoc Evans, and a detailed breakdown of language features like sentence structure inversion and specific vocabulary choices.
Which keywords best describe this research?
Key terms include Welsh English, Anglo-Welsh literature, Caradoc Evans, sociolinguistics, bilingualism, and syntactic inversion.
Why did the author choose "My Neighbours" for this analysis?
The collection was chosen because its dialogue-heavy structure offers a rich, realistic representation of everyday spoken Welsh English, making it an ideal subject for linguistic observation.
How does the author interpret Caradoc Evans’s literary role?
Evans is characterized as a "scourge of the Welsh" who used a blunt, unsentimental writing style to criticize the narrow-mindedness and religious strictness of the society in which he was raised.
What does the paper conclude regarding the influence of the Welsh language on English?
The conclusion indicates that Welsh exerts a significant influence on Welsh English, particularly through direct vocabulary borrowings and the adoption of habitual continuous tenses, which differ from standard English structures.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Olga Risukhina (Autor:in), 2007, Aspects of Welsh English on the Example of „My Neighbours“ by Caradoc Evans, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/112528
