What’s the word for . . . ? Beth yw’r gair am . . . ?

An illustrated dictionary - Geiriadur ā lluniau

Compiled by Carol Williams / Lluniwyd gan Carol Williams

'Whether you are a Welsh learner or a Welsh speaker who needs to brush up on vocabulary, this is an attractive and clever little dictionary especially for you, compiled by Carol Williams for the University of Wales Press. The format is convenient and it is easy to use to gain access to the 1,500 or so words listed. Not only will you learn to use this dictionary but also you will be helped to develop further your higher order reading skills. You will find that it is much more than just a dictionary because it invites you to talk about pictures, read and write in Welsh and more importantly, to enjoy yourself! The dictionary is divided into two sections: Welsh / English and English /Welsh. The words are arranged in alphabetical order with the Welsh alphabet appearing on the edge of the page in the Welsh /English section and the English alphabet acting as a similar reminder in the English version. The two alphabets are however quite different. Information about words in the Welsh/ English section is clearly explained and you will find the information about language structure on page 121 onward invaluable to your understanding of this dictionary. You will read about punctuation marks and words which look the same but have two completely different meanings, how to find plurals which look different from the singular word while help is at hand to find those elusive words whose first letters sometimes change – nothing is simple! At the beginning of the dictionary you are given useful information about parts of speech which are explained in both Welsh and English such as “a” for “adjective” and “be” for “ verbnoun”. We are told that the English/ Welsh section of the dictionary is simpler with easy steps to follow when you want to find the Welsh translation of an English word, examples are given to help you on your way while you are encouraged to write a whole sentence with your new found words. I told you that it is much more than just a dictionary and the website dedicated to this dictionary: www.word-for-gair-am.co.uk will provide you with additional notes for teachers and parents, a Welsh version of “ Using the Dictionary”, suggested tasks and a section on discussing the pictures.' Eirlys Eckley www.gwales.com

‘ . . . the sort of book a wannabe speaker like me needs when trying to tackle the pronunciation of our national language.’ South Wales Argus