The Linguist

APRIL/MAY The Linguist 33 INSTITUTE MATTERS A life with languages In English and his first language Welsh, Siôn Rees Williams describes misconceptions people have about Welsh, and the challenges involved in translating between the two languages Dim mwy o bethau codog fel, "Dw i'n hoffi coffi", ond yn hytrach darganfod ffonemau'r Gymraeg a dadansoddi ei hetymoleg a'i morffoleg. Ar yr un pryd dechreuais gyfieithu o ddifrif. Bellach, rydw i'n cael y cyfle o addysgu cleientiaid nad oes berf 'to have' yn y Gymraeg (nac, yn llythrennol, nid oes berfau o gwbl yn yr iaith). Neu nid oes ffordd hawdd o ddweud 'yes' a 'no'. A dyma fi bellach – yr unig aelod o CIOL sy'n cyfieithu i'r Gymraeg. Dim yn ddrwg am un heb unrhyw Saesneg cyn mynd i'r ysgol. Ond bydd pobl yn wastad eisiau imi ddweud, 'Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrn drobwllllantysiliogogoch'! Mae llawer yn dal i'w chanfod hi'n anodd derbyn nad Saesneg yw fy mamiaith. "Prydeiniwr wyt ti", maen nhw'n ei ddweud. "Rwyt ti'n siarad ac yn ysgrifennu'r iaith yn rhugl. Mae gen ti eirfa helaeth, a hynny mewn llawer o feysydd. Sut elli di ddweud nad Saesneg ydy dy iaith gyntaf?" Er bod llawer o hyn yn wir, unwaith y sefydlir mai'r Gymraeg yw fy mam iaith – wedi taith drwy Ewrop am ryw ddeg munud – mae rhwystr arall yn cael ei godi: "Dydy dy acen di ddim yn un Gymraeg; rwyt ti'n dod o Ddwyrain/Canolbarth Ewrop." Mewn gwirionedd, dechreuais ddysgu'r Saesneg fel Cymro uniaith mewn ysgol gynradd Eglwys Loegr yn West Sussex yn nechrau'r 1970au. Penderfynwyd y byddwn yn siarad y Gymraeg gyda 'Nhad a Saesneg gyda Mam (gyda'r Ffrangeg yn nes ymlaen). Daeth ieithoedd yn sail cynnar i'm bywyd, gyda gradd Baglor yng Nghyfraith Byd Busnes drwy gyfrwng y Saesneg a gradd Meistr mewn Astudiaethau Celtaidd yn ddiweddarach. Wedi cyfnod fel assistant iaith yn Essonne a chymhwyso fel athro Saesneg i Dramorwyr (EFL), treuliais bum mlynedd ym Mharis yn dysgu'r Gymraeg a Saesneg, yn ogystal â golygu yn fy nhair prif iaith. Profiad gwefreiddiol a ffordd o oleuo llawer i fodolaeth Cymru a'r Gymraeg. Atgyfnerthwyd hyn gan wersi blasu blynyddol (yn ddi-nawdd a thrwy gyfrwng y Ffrangeg, naturellement) mewn Arddangosfeydd rhyngwladol ym Mharis (ac, yn fwyaf diweddar, Prâg). Her wahanol oedd darlithio yn y Gymraeg ym Mhrifysgol Ioan Pawl II yn Lublin, 2006-2008. Many still find it difficult to accept that my mother tongue is not English. "You're British," they say. "You speak and write the language fluently. Your vocabulary is extensive and in many fields. How can you not say English is your first language?" While much of this is true, once I have established that Welsh (Cymraeg) is my first language – following a verbal tour of Europe for up to ten minutes – another impasse is reached: "Your accent is not Welsh; it's Eastern/Central European." In truth, I began to learn English as a Welsh monoglot upon entering a Church of England Primary School in West Sussex in the early 1970s. Around this time, my parents decided to bring me up bilingually; one parent, one language (with French thrown in a few years later). Languages became a foundation in my life, albeit with an interlude into acquiring a Business Law Degree in English. I would also achieve an MA in Celtic Studies later. After an Assistantship in Essonne and qualifying as an EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher, I spent five years in Paris teaching English and Welsh, as well as editing in my three main languages. It was a rewarding experience in enlightening many as to the very existence of Wales and the Welsh language. This was supplemented by annual taster lessons (unpaid and through the medium of French, naturellement) at language Expos in Paris and, more recently, in Prague. A different challenge arose in 2006-2008 when I lectured in Welsh at the John Paul II University in Lublin, Poland. No more 'Dw i'n hoffi coffi' stuff, but actually analysing Welsh phonemes and studying etymology and morphology. At the same time, I started my translation business. Now I get the chance to educate clients that Welsh doesn't have a verb 'to have' (or that, technically, we don't have verbs at all), nor is there an easy way of saying 'yes' and 'no'. And here's me now – the sole CIOL member who translates into Welsh. Not bad for one who had no English prior to going to school. But people will always want me to say, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrn drobwllllantysiliogogoch! @Linguist_CIOL

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