Tynged yr Iaith

Tynged yr Iaith (Welsh for 'The Fate of the Language'; Welsh pronunciation: [ˈtəŋɛd ər ˈjaiθ]) was a radio lecture delivered in Welsh by Saunders Lewis on 13 February 1962. Reaction to it brought about a major change in the politics of Wales. Historian John Davies has said that the lecture was "the catalyst" for the formation of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (the Welsh Language Society), and the start of a period of direct-action agitation to enhance the status of the Welsh language.[1] Its direct effect on the formation of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg is described in a history of that society.[2] It has been said[3] that "of all the memorable phrases coined in the twentieth century none has greater resonance for the Welsh speaker than Tynged yr Iaith . . . which still haunts or inspires champions of the native tongue on the cusp of the new millennium". It had the unintended effect[4] of establishing language agitation as a movement separate from the mainstream of nationalist politics. The burgeoning effects from the initial stimulus of Tynged yr Iaith were listed by Gwyn Williams:[5]

  1. ^ Davies, John, A History of Wales, Penguin, 1994, ISBN 0-14-014581-8, p 649
  2. ^ Phillips, D, The History of the Welsh Language Society in Jenkins, Geraint. H., and Williams, Mari A., (eds) Let's do our best for the ancient tongue, UoW Press, 2000, ISBN 0-7083-1658-1, p 467
  3. ^ Jenkins op cit, p 2
  4. ^ Jones, Alun R.; Thomas, Gwyn (1983). Presenting Saunders Lewis (2nd ed.). University of Wales Press. p. 71. ISBN 0-7083-0852-X.
  5. ^ Williams, Gwyn A. (1985). When was Wales?. Pelican. p. 292. ISBN 0-14-022589-7.