Isn't this thread going away from Alasdair's query? Why would a
manager be asked to speak French? It seems implausible to me,
although I don't know much about the area.
David Poyner
On 19 Jan 2006 at 7:15, Bob & Annette Orchard wrote:
> CORNISH / WELSH / BRETON
>
> I think that these languages were similar, & that people would have
> had a grasp of the gist of the conversation.
>
> Bob Orchard.
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Alasdair Neill" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 11:11 PM
> Subject: Snowdon Copper Mines
>
>
> > The last edition of Below! (Shropshire Caving & Mining Club)
> > contains an article (anonymous) statin "When a new mine manager was
> > wanted at any of the mines on Snowdon, it was a prerequisite that
> > applicants spoke English and French, because so many of the miners
> > were Breton. 'Llyn Llydaw@ means 'Lake Brittany' in Welsh".
> >
> > Does anyone have any proof of this? I understand that the name
> > Llydaw, although translating as Breton (I am no Welsh speaker) is
> > thought to be more likely to be a personal name, & anyway is
> > recorded much earlier than the date the Snowdon copper mine was
> > discovered (c mid 18th Century). In the 1850's there were proposals
> > to bring in Cornish miners, & most names
> of
> > workings in the area are either Welsh or Cornish. It would surely
> > have been much more likely that managers were Welsh speakers
> > (although I don't suppose there were many Welsh speakers amongst the
> > Cornish).
> >
> > Alasdair Neill.
> >
> >
>
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