Welsh language

Welsh is a special way to talk.

It comes from very old times. People in Wales use it every day. Some people also speak it in Argentina. Long ago, books helped keep the language strong.

Now, many children learn it at school. The leaders in Wales want even more people to speak it. It is a proud part of their lives.

Welsh is a special language. It belongs to the Celtic group.

People call it Cymraeg. This name means "compatriots" or "fellow countrymen."

Welsh has a very long history. It grew from an old language called Brittonic. Historians see different stages in its past. These include Primitive, Old, Middle, and Modern Welsh.

In the past, books like the Bible helped keep it strong. These books helped make the spelling the same for everyone.

Today, many people in Wales speak Welsh. About 18 percent of the people in Wales speak it. Some people also speak it in Argentina.

Many children learn Welsh at school. The government wants one million people to speak it by 2050. Many speakers use the language every single day. It is a proud part of life for many. Even though things change, the language stays alive.

Welsh is a beautiful Celtic language that belongs to the Brittonic group.

People who speak it are often called the Welsh people. In their own language, they call it Cymraeg. This name comes from a word meaning "compatriots" or "fellow countrymen." Today, Welsh is an official language in Wales. It is also used by the Senedd, which is the Welsh parliament. For many people, speaking Welsh is a way to show pride in their culture. It is a living part of their daily lives and their shared history.

The language has changed in many ways over a very long time. It grew from an ancient language called Common Brittonic.

Historians divide its history into four main stages. These stages are Primitive Welsh, Old Welsh, Middle Welsh, and Modern Welsh. During the Middle Welsh period, people wrote many famous tales and laws. These old manuscripts help us understand how the language used to sound. Even today, a fluent speaker can often understand much of the Middle Welsh used in these old stories.

Learning how Welsh changed involves looking at many different eras. The Primitive Welsh period began around 550 AD.

A major event called the Battle of Dyrham happened in 577 AD. This battle helped split the Brittonic speakers into different groups. Some groups stayed in Wales, while others were in northern England or the southwest. This led to the creation of other languages like Cornish. Over time, the language moved into the Old Welsh period during the 9th century. By the 14th century, the Modern Welsh period had begun.

Important books helped keep the language strong and steady. In 1567, William Salesbury translated the New Testament into Welsh.

Later, in 1588, William Morgan translated the whole Bible. These translations helped make the spelling the same for everyone. Today, the language is still very much alive in Wales.

According to the 2021 census, about 538,300 people in Wales could speak Welsh. Some surveys show even higher numbers, like 828,500 people in September 2025. The Welsh government even hopes to have one million speakers by the year 2050.

You can see the influence of Welsh in many places today. In Wales, you might see bilingual road signs with both English and Welsh.

You can also find Welsh speakers living far away in Argentina.

Many children learn the language in special Welsh-medium schools.

This helps more young people use the language every day. Whether it is in a classroom or on a street sign, Welsh connects people to their past. It is a way for people to express who they are.

Welsh, or Cymraeg, is a Celtic language belonging to the Brittonic subgroup.

It is the native language of the Welsh people and holds a vital place in their cultural identity. Today, Welsh is an official language in Wales. It also holds de jure official status in the Senedd, which is the Welsh parliament. While many people in Wales are bilingual, many find they are more comfortable expressing themselves in Welsh than in English. The language is not just found in Wales, though. Some Welsh speakers live in England, and there is even a Welsh colony in the Chubut Province of Argentina.

The language evolved from Common Brittonic, the Celtic tongue spoken by ancient Britons.

This language likely arrived in Britain during the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Over a long period, the Brittonic language began to fragment due to different dialects. This process led to the emergence of Welsh and other Brittonic languages. Linguist Kenneth H. Jackson suggested that the shift in sound patterns was complete by about 550 AD. This period is often called Primitive Welsh. Some historians believe the language might have been around even earlier than 600 AD. This is suggested by how certain words, like 'poet' or 'river,' changed by dropping final syllables.

Historians identify four distinct stages in the history of the language. The first is Primitive Welsh, which follows the initial emergence. The second is Old Welsh, which generally lasted from the 9th century to the 12th century. During this time, the language began to diverge from other varieties like Cumbric and Cornish. The third stage is Middle Welsh, spanning from the 12th to the 14th century. This era produced many surviving manuscripts, including early poetry and Welsh law documents. Middle Welsh is unique because it remains reasonably intelligible to modern speakers. Finally, the fourth stage is Modern Welsh, which began in the 14th century. This stage is further divided into Early Modern Welsh and Late Modern Welsh.

Several historical events and people shaped the development of Welsh. A major turning point was the Battle of Dyrham in 577 AD. This military battle between the West Saxons and the Britons split the South Western Britons from direct overland contact with the Welsh. Later, religious translations played a massive role in stabilizing the language. In 1567, William Salesbury translated the New Testament into Welsh. In 1588, William Morgan completed the translation of the entire Bible.

These Bible translations helped to standardize Welsh spelling and maintained the language's use in daily life.

In recent centuries, the popularity of Welsh faced significant challenges. During the industrialization of the late 19th century, many immigrants from England moved to Wales. This led to a decline in Welsh speakers, especially in the South Wales Valleys. By 1911, Welsh had become a minority language, spoken by 43.5 percent of the population. The number of speakers reached a low point of 503,000 in 1981. However, the number of speakers living in Wales has actually increased since 1951.

The Welsh government now works to increase the language's use through education and legislation.

Statistics show a complex picture of how Welsh is used today. According to the 2021 census, 538,300 residents in Wales aged three or over could speak Welsh. This represents 17.8 percent of the population. However, other surveys show much higher numbers. A 2022–2023 survey found that 34 percent of people aged 16 or over could speak Welsh. In September 2025, other data estimated that 828,500 people, or 26.9 percent, could speak the language.

Among those who speak Welsh, 56 percent use it daily, while 19 percent use it weekly.

The future of the language is tied to education and government goals. Since 1980, the number of children attending Welsh-medium schools has increased.

This shift is important because the Welsh Government plans to increase the number of speakers to one million by 2050. They also aim to double the daily use of the language by that time. Today, the influence of the language is visible in everyday life. You can see bilingual road signs in many areas.

Welsh is also recognized by UNESCO as the least endangered Celtic language.