Welsh place name pronunciation: Let he without sin post the first comment

Stephen Price

Welsh social media users came out in force to criticise a BBC newsreader over her pronunciation Bannau Brycheiniog recently.

Catherine Byaruhanga, who was previously the BBC's Africa correspondent, tripped up while reporting on the increase in the numbers of tourists visiting the “Instagrammable” national park back on 17 August.

Posting the clip online, a Facebook user quite rightly pointed out that the BBC has a pronunciation unit to assist their broadcasters to get it right, writing: "Did she miss the memo or was the pronunciation unit on their summer holidays at Dolygoloo or Betsi Co-ed?" he said. "This simply isn't acceptable."

Commenters piled in underneath, with one adding: "Would this happen if the location was in another country or the name wasn't in Welsh?"

When one Facebook user suggested that the newsreader had 'given it her best shot', another replied: "Sorry, but 'gave it her best shot' might be ok if you are on holiday there but not if you are representing the UK's national broadcaster on their news programme."

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Human after all

So, of course, the BBC has a duty to get things right, they've got their pronunciation unit after all. But, while fallible, imperfect humans still have jobs in the media, and while we have live television and ever-shrinking pools of money to play with, perfection can always be aimed for, but will never be reached.

Be it a typo, a tongue-tie or simply being a deer in headlights, people can and always will make mistakes.

I fall over my words all the time, and the risk is even greater when vocalising a word in an unfamiliar language.

Here in Wales, Welsh is familiar, and yet here we are, with pockets full of stones ready to throw which surely suggests we are all masters of our own place names. We must be, right? Judging by the number of people angered by Byaruhanga's unintentional mispronunciation.

Facebook police

As much as it might grate, we can somewhat overlook the Aber-socks (Abersoch), Betsy Co-Eds (Betws y Coed) and Torffun-esque (Torfaen) pronunciations I've heard from visitors and simply roll our eyes.

Forgive them Father, for they have at least an excuse!

Much like a Catalonian must have to bite their tongue when we're asking for directions to Santa Eulalia, Ciutadella and Cala Llonga, or an Englishman might be amused by my attempt to pronounce Marylebone or Cholmondeley, incorrect pronunciation in an unfamiliar land or language is par for the course.

So why are we not more forgiving of others when it comes to pronouncing Welsh place names when so many English speaking Welsh people all-too-often have absolutely no leg to stand on?

A few local examples, and some of the travesties I hear day-in day-out from natives include Musgwortha (Maes y Gwartha), Brimow (Brynmawr), Langa'uk (Llangattock/Llangatwg), Cuffily (Caerffili), Talguth (Talgarth), Gilwun (Gilwern), Langors (Llangors), Loony (Llwynu) Nanteeglow (Nantyglo), Mirthuh (Merthyr), ...OK this could go on some time, I think you're getting the point...

I grew up on a council estate called Haulfryn, but have I heard anyone besides myself call it anything but something-akin-to 'Horle Ffrin'? I'm afraid I haven't.

When viewing a house in the village above (Llanelly Hill - often pronounced Lanethly by the locals) I was asked where I grew up by the owner and informed him that I was local-ish, went to the local school and was moving up from Haulfryn.. If I did.

He looked at me as if I'd arrived freshly from the moon. “What? Horle Ffrin!?"

We left it there.

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Hold my drink

One issue I battle with as a second language Welsh speaker (or 'new speaker') despite it being over 30 years now, is my impossible quest for perfection.

I stumble over sentences and replies despite knowing exactly what the other person has said.

Time and time again, however, I keep stressing the need to use the Welsh we have. Pause, chuck a bit of Wenglish in if need be, dal ati.

Imagine if native Welsh speakers pulled us up on every incorrect pronunciation when we're trying our best. That wouldn't get us anywhere.

To their credit, they're also dignified in their silence when it comes to our pronunciation of our own Welsh place names. But, in the interests of fairness, I have no such dignity, so hold my drink!

Say it right

I wonder if those angered by a mispronunciation by a BBC News presenter roll the R in Pontypridd and Bannau Brycheiniog, pronounce the Rh of Rhondda and Rhossili, or know how to pronounce Rhyd Ddu, Llanfairfechan and Blaenwaun.

How come we aren't so quick to pick our friends, neighbours and even ourselves up when we lazily pronounce our own place names in a way an accomplished and graceful BBC newsreader live-on-air dare not?

If we live here, we don't have an excuse - especially the group-think 'ah, I know it should be said this way but no one locally says that' one.

So, of course, our publicly funded broadcasters should always pronounce our place names correctly. But it wouldn't hurt us to be a little more kind and understanding when bloopers inevitably happen.

It wouldn't hurt us, either, to walk our talk and say our own place names with a little more effort and reverence.

It might be a strange analogy, but before I felt cool and comfortable with elements of myself, a hurtful name slung my way would do just as intended. It would hurt. But with confidence, with acceptance, came a love of a roast, Top Trumping put-downs of my own or, better still, a shrug and zero f****s given.

We do a disservice to ourselves as a supposedly strong, confident nation if our first instinct is to go for the jugular when someone disrespects our hallowed land, or unintentionally trips up over a pronunciation.

A sheepshagger joke, or some popty ping vowel-free-language style rot? A disparaging opinion of a Welsh location? It's not even worth a reply. Let that kind of thing simply reflect the IQ, or very often the fear and envy, of its originator.

A blooper of a pronunciation, especially when spoken with no ill intent? Is that really the best destination to direct our rage?

Unless your Maesygwartha, Llanllyfni and Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch roll off the tongue with ease, we're all better off leaving the telling-off to the experts.