The United Kingdom is made up of four nations – and one of those nations apparently wants a re-brand. Thousands of people in Wales have signed a petition to do away with the country’s name in English, and instead use its Welsh name, Cymru.
The petition, which has now surpassed the 10,000-signature mark that it needed in order to be discussed in the Senedd, argues that the English language name was ‘imposed’ on them. It states: ‘Hardly anyone has heard of Cymru or realises that we have our own unique language and culture which is totally different from the other countries within the United Kingdom.’
The name Wales derives from an Anglo-Saxon word which referred to foreigners, so the frustration is not completely unfounded. The Welsh language is of great importance to many of its residents, despite speakers continuing to dwindle in numbers. The Welsh government has made increased awareness of the language a priority, and aims to increase the number of speakers to one million by 2050.
Last year, one of the nation’s national parks, the Brecon Beacons, officially started going by its Welsh name, Bannau Brycheiniog (it was also just named one of the world’s best places to visit this year by the New York Times).
The petition will now be debated in the Welsh parliament.
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