The cultural relationship between the Welsh and English manifests through many shared cultural elements including language, sport, religion and food. The cultural relationship is usually characterised by tolerance of people and cultures, although some mutual mistrust and racism or xenophobia persists. Hatred or fear of the Welsh by the English has been termed "Cymrophobia",[1] and similar attitudes towards the English by the Welsh, or others, are termed "Anglophobia".
The relationship has developed historically from the origins of the two nations, and has been shaped by the military, political, economic and cultural power exercised by the more populous English over the Welsh for many centuries; differences between the English and Welsh languages; and the cultural importance attached by people in Wales to features of their national identity including the language, literature, religion, history, traditions, and the national sport of rugby union.
The Anglo-Norman kings of England had conquered Wales militarily by the 13th century, and under Henry VIII the country was incorporated into the Kingdom of England by the Laws in Wales Acts in the 16th century. Many elements of the Welsh economy and society since then have been shaped by demands from England, and Wales has been described as "England's first colony".[2] However, Welsh identity remained strong, and recently there has been an increasing awareness and acknowledgement of Wales' cultural and historical separateness from England, which is reflected politically.
The Welsh language is in the Celtic language group, whereas English is in the West Germanic group; consequently the English language is further from the Welsh language in both vocabulary and grammar than from a number of European languages, such as Dutch, for example.
- ^ Mike Parker, Neighbours from Hell? – English attitudes to the Welsh, 2007, ISBN 0-86243-611-7
- ^ "Wales-England: Where is the love?". BBC News. 2007-02-14.