There are two Welsh villages just four miles apart which are quite similar - except for the fact that they speak different versions of the Welsh language.
According to locals, the predominantly Welsh-speaking Conwy villages of Llansannan and Llangernyw speak two different versions of Cymraeg with plenty of noticeable variations, writes North Wales Live. You can get the latest WalesOnline newsletters e-mailed to you directly for free by signing up here.
Residents of one village tend to speak with more of a Vale of Clwyd dialect, while those who live in the other speak more of a Gwynedd-style dialect. Both villages boast some of the highest Welsh language percentage figures found anywhere in Wales, with over 65% in both spots able to speak Cymraeg - a figure well in excess of the Conwy County average of around 27%.
Read more: How much longer will the heatwave last according to the Met Office
The two villages share a lot in common in terms of their rural setting, traditional Welsh culture and also share a healthy sporting rivalry when the two village football sides clash in the fourth tier of North Wales football. Both places have boasted some famous residents over the years also - TV stars Tara Bethan, Orig Williams and Eilir Jones hailing from Llansannan with Lois Cernyw and Mei Jones from Llangernyw.
Gwenno Davies was born and bred in the Llansannan area. She said: “I think maybe the River Elwy would be the dividing line (between the two dialects). On our side of the river we say for example ‘adre’ (home) whereas they would say ‘adra’. It’s the difference with the letter A and E mainly - another example is how we would pronounce Dinbych (Denbigh) - people from Llangernyw would pronounce it as Dinbach whilst we would say Dinbech.”
One resident of Llangernyw, Mark, told North Wales Live: “There are some slight differences in the way we speak Cymraeg but it’s mainly just the odd letter ‘A’ and ‘E’ that changes really, also we would sometimes use ‘chdi’ (you) instead of ‘ti’. People from Llansannan probably have more in common with the Vale of Clwyd in terms of the Welsh they use, whereas we are probably more similar to places like Llanrwst. We all get along really well, a few of us often pop down to the Red Lion for a pint whilst a lot of the Llansannan lads come here for a few drinks in the Stag. There’s always a bit of banter between us.”
Read next:
- The old airfield that has turned into Wales' biggest place to grab a bargain
- Locals desperate to save only pub in village raise almost £200k
- Drivers to face months of disruption on major road from next week
- Dad had sudden severe headache and then died of brain tumour
Strange bubbles appear in sand on Welsh beach which people should stay away from
