Happy St. David's Day

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Sant



St. David [c. fifth/sixth century] was recognised as a national patron saint at the height of the Welsh resistance to the Normans, according to Wikipedia. March 1st is celebrated as his feast day as it is generally recognised as the date of his death.

Leeks and daffodils are Welsh symbols. Legend claims that in 633 leeks were worn by a Welsh troop to distinguish themselves from the English (Saxon) enemy, while the alternative (and less aromatic) daffodil - which blooms at about this time - is preferred by the English government as being less representative of Welsh nationalism (Plaid Cymru). Their Welsh names are similar: cenhinen = leek, cenhinen Pedr = daffodil/Peter's leek.

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"Gwnewch y pethau bychain" - Dewi Sant (b. circa 520 - d.circa 589)

Cymraeg

Today you are going to learn about patronymics. The word patronymic is a noun meaning a name (a proper name) that is derived from a father or ancestor. Origin: Greek. Pater + onoma = father + name.

The Welsh language patronymic is ap or ab. Welsh is the native tongue of Wales and many of their last names derive from combining the patronymic with the father’s name, such as:
Probert from ap+Robert or
Pritchard from ap+Richard or
Parry from ap+Harry.

Some more traditional nationalist (or, to the English, radical) Welsh families keep the ap or ab separate... such as…come on, you can do it…

Yes! As in Hughes ap Williams!

Diolch a hawddamor!
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Just in case you are still confused, I am going to give you some more common (in America) examples of patronyms:

Fitz: Norman-French prefix – child (or sometimes grandchild) of.
Fitzpatrick = child of Patrick

Mc/Mac – Scottish prefix – son of.
MacDonald = son of Donald

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"Brooded over by mist more often than swirled about by cloud, drizzled rather than storm-swept, on the western perimeter of Europe lies the damp, demanding and obsessively interesting country called by its own people Cymru … and known to the rest of the world, if it is known at all, as Wales." - Jan Morris (James Morris)