Wednesday, 13 August 2008

Weird and Wonderful Welsh


Here's the emergency instructions off a Welsh Arriva train.
Hmmm, try saying some of this aloud. Let alone the long and famous village called (take a deep breath now folks) Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Denise can say this one, but I'll stick to Llanfair PG like the locals. It means 'St Mary's Church in the Hollow of the White Hazel near a Rapid Whirlpool and the Church of St Tysilio near the Red Cave' dreamt up in the 19th century to lure tourists.

Mind you, New Zealand has its very own long place name, a hill called Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipu-kakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu", which translates roughly as 'The summit where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, the climber of mountains, the land-swallower who travelled about, played his nose flute to his loved one'. At 85 letters, it is one of the longest place names in the world. Though my favourite NZ place name has to be Whangamomona. And the Welsh one, Pontymister. They're just so cute.

2 comments:

moondancer33 said...

Hey, we must visit Waikikamoocow (why kick a moo cow) near Tauranga one day.

charinthecity said...

Definitely!