Ms Mathur noticed the similarities after moving to BBC Radio Wales
"We tend to pronounce everything - all the consonants, all the vowels."
Sonia Mathur
'Apu from the Simpsons holidaying in Swansea' or Pete Postlethwaite?
Posted on 03/15/2005 2:58:17 AM PST by CarrotAndStick
Ms Mathur noticed the similarities after moving to BBC Radio Wales
"We tend to pronounce everything - all the consonants, all the vowels."
Sonia Mathur
'Apu from the Simpsons holidaying in Swansea' or Pete Postlethwaite?
Maybe Welsh-origin Freepers could help her solve the mystery.
?......so called ancient Indo-European 'Gypsy' spoken cuneiform?
I am just reading Peter Beresford Ellis's book, the Druids, and he details direct linguistic ties between various Celtic languages and Sanskrit or Hindi e.g., Druid ==> Dru (Oak) id (Vid) Hindi for wisdom or knowledge. However, the puzzle is the accent. Is the same true for Irish and Scottish Gaelic?
The other, and perhaps simpler, alternative explanantion is that the Indian individuals in question learned their English in an area where Welsh expatriates had taught English to the local population. If true, there are undoubtedly Indians who speak with a Scottish or Irish "lilt". The influence of local accents can certainly survive 300 or 400 years. For example, in parts of Maine, they speak with a distinctly East Anglian or West Country accent reflecting the geographic origins of 17th Century settlers - the famous comedy duo "Bert and I" have accent reminiscent of Cornish or West Country accents.
I know that the Romani (AKA "Gypsys") descend from India and have similar parts of their language.
bump
If I remember my studies, the Gaelic has two main branches Cymric (welsh and breton), and Scots/Irish. There are quite a few disimilarities between the accents etc. I am not sure about where similarities between Irish Gaelic and Sanskrit may lie.
There are some Welsh that claim Prince Madog was the first European to travel to the Americas in the tenth century (I think) so it might be feasible that they had travelled to India too.
Since you are reading a book on druids, there has long been speculation that the early Indo Europeans who moved into India were closely related to the Celts. I have read from several sources that linguistically there was some evidence for this. The druid priest caste had many similarities to the Brahmin's priest caste. The functions of these priests in both Celtic and Indian life were somewhat similar. The druids wrote nothing down but the vague hints about their beliefs even echo some Hindu beliefs. Since Wales was a seat of power for the druids there may indeed be a very distant link between the peoples. The more Germanic European culture groups tended to have a shamanistic approach to religion without any evolution of a special caste of priests. I read that same book, that you are now reading, and believe that there is a link.
ping
Would you happen to know of any books on that subject? I remember reading about a Welsh/North American link years ago and could never find out more about it.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/3579/madog.html
The Forgotten People, published by Gomer Press in 1996. Another source of the legend is Madog: The Making of a Myth by Gwyn A. Williams, Oxford University Press, 1979 (ISBN 019 285 1780).
Thanks for the link!
It is a very interesting subject. I read in a Clive Cussler book that vikings may have visited the Americas too, although it was a fictional book so I cannot say how true it is.
Cheers,
Eepsy, blam has put up a good link about Madoc/Madog.
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