The Survey of Anglo-Welsh Dialects (SAWD) was commenced in 1968 under the direction of
David Parry of
University College, Swansea
, former_names=University College of Swansea, University of Wales Swansea
, motto= cy, Gweddw crefft heb ei dawn
, mottoeng="Technical skill is bereft without culture"
, established=1920 – University College of Swansea 1996 – University of Wa ...
. The aim was to record the "conservative forms" of
Welsh English
Welsh English ( cy, Saesneg Gymreig) comprises the dialects of English spoken by Welsh people. The dialects are significantly influenced by Welsh grammar and often include words derived from Welsh. In addition to the distinctive words and g ...
spoken in rural locations in Wales. The methodology was based on that used in the
Survey of English Dialects
The Survey of English Dialects was undertaken between 1950 and 1961 under the direction of Professor Harold Orton of the English department of the University of Leeds. It aimed to collect the full range of speech in England and Wales before loc ...
carried out between 1950 and 1961. The survey analysed pronunciation,
lexis,
morphology and
syntax based on interviews with respondents in ninety locations, who were to be over sixty years of age.
The results of the survey for south-east and south-west Wales were published as two volumes in 1977 and 1979. To these a companion volume on north Wales was added in 1991
A second (urban) phase (SAWD II) covering four towns in different parts of Wales was started by Robert Penhallurick in 1986. The towns chosen were
Caernarfon
Caernarfon (; ) is a royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,852 (with Caeathro). It lies along the A487 road, on the eastern shore of the Menai Strait, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor i ...
,
Carmarthen
Carmarthen (, RP: ; cy, Caerfyrddin , "Merlin's fort" or "Sea-town fort") is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community in Wales, lying on the River Towy. north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. The population was 14,185 in 2011, ...
,
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the county ...
and the
Grangetown area of Cardiff.
Robert Penhallurick (currently of the
University of Swansea) is now the custodian of the SAWD Archive.
A similar survey on dialects in the
South Wales valleys was later carried out by the South Wales Miners Library.
Rod Walters, University of Glamorgan, ''The phonology of Rhondda Valleys English''
/ref>
References
Further reading
Parry, David, ''A Grammar and Glossary of the Conservative Anglo-Welsh Dialects of Rural Wales''
introduction
an
phonology
available at the Internet Archive.
{{English dialects by continent
Welsh English
Languages of the United Kingdom