Tell us about Welsh Wikipedia

This page belongs to the project Tell us about your Wikipedia.

Welsh language Wikipedia

Wikimedia Statistics can be difficult to interpret. What is your impression, how many steady contributors do you have?
- Probably about 10 regulars.
Are your contributors mostly native speakers?
- About half and half between fluent speakers, and learners of various degrees.
Where do your contributors live (regions/country)?
- Mostly in Wales.
How common is it that your contributors meet in real life?
- Not sure. There have been suggestions for a meet-up at the last two National Eisteddfods, but nothing has really happened.

Do you have special contacts with another Wikipedias (maybe in related languages)?
- Not really. We have an informal mutual understanding with some of the other Celtic language wikipedias to use the local Celtic language name instead of English or French - e.g. we use 'Roazhon' instead of 'Rennes'.
Do you translate a lot from other Wikipedias? Which ones?
- Mostly adapting templates from en:; but sometimes articles, especially about countries, regions and current events, are also translated - again mainly from en: but also from fr: and some of the other language wikipedias.

Is there a Wikimedia chapter in your country? How does your language relate to it?
- There's no chapter specifically for Wales, but there's Wikimedia UK. Don't know how we relate to it.
Are there work groups in other organizations about Wikipedia?
- Don't know. Not sure if this is relevant, but the National Library of Wales ran a pilot project in August 2008, where they released some images for its collections for use on Wicipedia and Wikipedia.

Is there a language institution for your language, like an Academy, or a club of people interested in your language? Do you have contact with them?
- Canolfan Bedwyr, part of University of Wales, Bangor works on standardization of language and new terminology, but we have no contact with them.
- Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg (Welsh Language Board) are a Welsh Assembly Government agency which promotes the use of the language, but we have no contact with them.
Who (else) supports you?
- Not sure
How looks your public outreach for your edition? Do you have flyers, give lectures, trainings etc.?
- No, not yet.
  - (14.9.2011 Update) In 2010 there was a dedicated do called Diwrnod y Pethau Bychain (Day of small things), where Welsh speakers were encouraged to do something on-line (start a blog, help translated Facebook, upload a YouTube video and of course edit a create a Wicipedia article). This day had a lot of coverage in the media (radio and weekly papers/magazines). Also, at this year's National Eisteddfod in August, as part of Hacio'r Iaith's sort of BarCamp session on Aberystwyth Uni's stall, I gave a demo of how to edit an article and some ideas on how individauls with varying skills can contribute.
Do you get feedback from readers?
- Occasionally.
What other encyclopedias exist in your language?
- Gwyddoniadur Cymru yr Academi Gymreig, and others, but we have no modern general encyclopedia that compares with Larousse or the Encyclopædia Brittanica.

Does your edition concentrate on certain topics, like your region and language, or Latin Wikipedia on Roman history and Christianity?
- Yes, we have many articles relating to Wales and, to a lesser extent, the other Celtic nations, but apart from that we have a wide range of articles with no real speciality.
Did your edition enjoy text donations, for example from older encyclopedias?
- No. There is no suitable source (such as older editions of the Encyclopædia Brittanica used by en:).

Is there a generally accepted norm about your language (spelling, dictionary, pronunciation)?
- Generally yes, but there are two main dialects which can vary the spelling and pronunciation of some words, and the grammar of some sentences. Dictionaries list all variations.
How do you deal with different spellings, dialects etc. (like B.E. lift and A.E. elevator)?
- Tend to stick with what was written first.