Welsh Braille Code
Welsh braille uses the same general rules with regard to composition
signs, punctuation signs, etc., as those stated in The Rules of Unified
English Braille (2013). However, the alphabet, and the system of
contractions used for grade 2 are specific to Welsh, and these are
covered in this document. In addition there are special signs for accents.
Alphabet
a
b
c
ch
d
dd
e
f
ff
g
A
B
C
*
D
DD
E
F
FF
G
ng
h
i
l
ll
m
n
o
p
NG
H
I
L
LL
M
N
O
P
ph
r
rh
s
t
th
u
w
y
PH
R
RH
S
T
?
U
W
Y
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In addition, the remaining letters from the English alphabet may be used
where necessary:
j
k
J
K
q
v
Q
V
X
Z
x
z
Contractions
Wordsigns
Alphabetic Wordsigns:
Sign
Meaning
English
Meaning
Sign
Meaning
English
Meaning
A
B
C
*
D
DD
F
FF
G
H
a
and
llawer
many
beth
what
mae
is
cael
to have
nid
not
chwarae
to play
o
from; of
dyma
here is
pobl
people
ddoe
yesterday
roedd
was
fel
like; as
rhai
some
ffordd
road; way; manner
sydd
is; are
gyda
with
trwy
through
hoffi
to like
LL
M
N
O
P
R
RH
S
T
U
unig
lonely; sole;
alone
I
L
i
to; for
lawr
down
W
Y
wedi
after
y
the
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Dots 4-5-6 Wordsigns:
These wordsigns may also be used as parts of words.
Sign
Meaning
English
Meaning
Sign
Meaning
English
Meaning
_C
_G
_H
cyrraedd
to reach; to arrive
meddwl
to think
gweithio
to work
sylweddoli
to realize
hefyd
also
_M
_S
_W
wedyn
afterwards
Dot 5 Wordsigns:
These wordsigns may also be used as parts of words.
Sign
Meaning
English
Meaning
Sign
Meaning English
Meaning
"*
"D
"E
"F
"H
"M
"N
"O
chwerthin
to laugh
plentyn
child
dydd
day
rydw
I am
eistedd
to sit
rhaid
necessity; must
fyny
up
siarad
to speak; to talk
heddiw
today
tywydd
weather
mynd
to go
uchel
high
newydd
new
wrth
to; by
oedd
was
"P
"R
"RH
"S
"T
"U
"W
"Y
ysgol
school; ladder
(Note that
"rh
is always to be read as ‘rhaid’ and not ‘rydwh’.)
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Wordsigns cannot be used if the words are mutated. For example, P is
used for the word ‘pobl’, but not for the mutated form ‘bobl’ which must
be written out.
Groupsigns
Simple Upper Groupsigns:
These may generally be used wherever the letters they represent occur.
However, ed may not be contracted in the sequence ‘edd’, nor of in the
sequence ‘off’.
>
$
5
]
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(
ar
ed
en
er
in
[
/
ow
st
of
Composite Groupsigns:
These may only be used at the end of words, and never as whole words.
Dots 4-6 Groupsigns:
.D
.N
.?
iaid
ending for common nouns, e.g. anifeiliaid – animals
ion
e.g. dynion – men
waith
e.g. unwaith – once
Dots 5-6 Groupsigns:
;DD
rwydd
ending of abstract nouns, e.g. gwallgofrwydd –
madness
4
;S
yddes
ending denoting a person or an agent, e.g.
ysgrifenyddes – secretary
;?
iaeth
ending of abstract nouns, e.g. daearyddiaeth –
geography
Shortforms
Shortforms may in most circumstances be used as parts of words,
provided the original meanings of the words they represent are retained.
Shortform
angh
ar
arb
bdd
bl
brl
dchr
dch
dw
dwth
efll
eis
ffr
gnd
grff
gw
gwb
hn
llr
mdd
nth
Meaning
anghofio
ar
arbennig
byddai
blwyddyn
braille
dechrau
diolch
diwedd
diwethaf
efallai
eisiau
ffrind
gwneud
gorffen
gwelwch
gwybod
hynny
llythyr
meddai
neithiwr
English Meaning
to forget
on
special
would be; he/she would be
year
braille
beginning
thank (you)
end
last
maybe
want
friend
to make
finish
you see; you can see
to know
that
letter
said
last night
5
ohw
pend
pl
prh
pthu
rhw
rhwb
rhwbr
rhwf
rhwft
rhwl
rhwu
st
uwb
wthu
ysg
oherwydd
penderfynu
plant
prynhawn
pethau
rhyw
rhywbeth
rhywbryd
rhywfodd
rhywfaint
rhywle
rhywun
stori
uwchben
weithiau
ysgrifennu
because
to decide
children
afternoon
things
some; sex
something
sometime
somehow
some amount
somewhere
someone
story
above
sometimes
to write
Accents
@
^
2
3
^
circumflex
e.g. caniatâd – permission
¨
diaeresis
e.g. copïo – to copy
̀
grave
e.g. pìn – pin
´
acute
e.g. carafán – caravan
In order to avoid conflicts with UEB signs, the following rule is applied:
The accents for circumflex and diaeresis may only be used before the
vowels a, e, i, o, u, w, y. Where dot 4 or dots 45 before a vowel is
needed to represent a sign as defined in UEB (e.g. dot 4 e for euro), it
should be preceded by the grade 1 indicator, dots 56 (i.e. in Welsh
braille the euro sign is ;@e ).
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(The above does not apply within special modes in UEB, e.g. following
the arrow indicator: the specific UEB rules are in effect in such contexts,
and the meaning of the above signs as accents is not permissible.)
A letter with an accent may not be contained within a contraction, but
other contractions in the word may be used.
[October 2014]
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Cwmbrân
NP44 9BQ
Tel: 0845 60 85223
Fax: 0845 60 85224
Email: enquiries@ukaaf.org
Web: www.ukaaf.org
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UKAAF
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Victoria Street
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NP44 3YT
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