h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have composed this entry off the top of my head on realising that there wasn't one. I welcome any comments and intend to write a slightly fuller and more rounded one at a later date.

This is a good article, you should submit it for the official guide.

Though I disagree with the last comment, about Welsh being phonetic. What about all those throat noises you make?

I intend to brush it up a bit first, especially as I have now found another entry that relates to the language (under 'Yr Iaith Gymraeg' I think).

As for phonetic, I believe this means that there is a fairly direct link between how a word is spelt and pronounced. This is so in Welsh where - for example - C is always like the English K, F is always like the English V. Languages like English are not like this, e.g. OUGH can be pronounced 5 different ways.

Throat Noises? I thought all such noises are created in the throat before being 'shaped' by the mouth (I am being pedantic here!). If you mean the LL and CH sounds then these are made in the mouth. But since these sounds are always represented by the same symbols then the language is phonetic. Well, fairly phonetic!

Ok, I get your drift

Can you tell me what 'six hundred and sixty six' is in Welsh, please?
I got a friend who's doing a list of The Number Of The Beast in as many different languages as possible, but I haven't got a link to his page *^_^*

666="Chwe chant chwe deg a chwech".

It has five incidences of CH (similar to German or Scottish CH) which means it will be tricky for any Englishman except a Scouser to pronounce!

Alternatively you could use an older style and say "Chwe chant trigain a chwech" (Six hundred threeetwenties and six) but I shan't complicate matters at this point!

Thanks, that's great!

Is there an element of traditional/ancient Welsh language that you were verging on there?