Cofi dialect

{{short description|Dialect of Welsh}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2024}}

{{Infobox language

|name = Cofi dialect

|nativename = Y dafodiaith Cofi

|states = Wales

|region = Caernarfon, Gwynedd

|speakers = ?

|familycolor = Indo-European

|fam2 = Celtic

|fam3 = Insular Celtic

|fam4 = Brythonic

|fam5 = Welsh

|fam6 = Gwyndodeg

|isoexception= dialect

|glotto=none

}}

{{lang|cy|Cofi}} ({{IPA|cy|ˈkɔvi}}) is one of the regional accents and dialects of the Welsh language found in north Wales, and centred on Caernarfon, in Gwynedd, and its surrounding district. A person from Caernarfon is known colloquially as a {{lang|cy|Cofi}}.{{cite news |url=http://northwalestoday.com/caernarfon.html |title=Cofi dialect |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930014447/http://northwalestoday.com/caernarfon.html |archive-date=30 September 2012 |work=North Wales Today |access-date=10 April 2011 }}

{{lang|cy|Cofi}} has been called "one of Wales’ most famous regional dialects". In 2011, the Welsh television production company {{lang|cy|Cwmni Da|italic=np}} organised a special event at Caernarfon Town Football Club celebrating the {{lang|cy|Cofi}} dialect. The event was filmed as part of a television series known as {{lang|cy|Ar Lafar}}.{{cite news |title=Celebrating the Cofi Dialect |work=Caernarfon and Denbigh Herald |date=3 February 2011 }}

According to broadcaster Mari Gwilym, "{{lang|cy|Cofi}}s are straight as arrows and we are extremely proud of the {{lang|cy|Cofi}} dialect as it is a real asset to Wales. Caernarfon has earned a reputation throughout Wales as the town of the {{lang|cy|Cofi}}s which I think is great because it’s an extremely important part of their heritage".

The {{lang|cy|Cofi}} dialect has been "immortalized" in the radio monologues of Richard Hughes and in William Owen's stories {{lang|cy|Chwedlau Pen Deitsch}} (1961) {{cite book |title=The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales |publisher=University of Wales Press |location=Cardiff |date=2008 |isbn=978-0-7083-1953-6 }}

The actor Dewi Rhys is a {{lang|cy|Cofi}}. He has written a book on {{lang|cy|Cofi}} humour called {{lang|cy|Hiwmor y Cofi}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.ylolfa.com/dangos.php?ISBN=9781847711885 |title=Hiwmor y Cofi by Dewi Rhys |publisher=Y Lolfa |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312033931/http://www.ylolfa.com/dangos.php?ISBN=9781847711885%2F |archive-date=12 March 2012 |access-date=10 April 2011 }} He comments: "I don’t think we as {{lang|cy|Cofi}}s try and be individual, but we just are. We like to think that we’re life’s losers, but we look forward to getting out there and doing different things. When you first meet a {{lang|cy|Cofi}}, you’re usually greeted with this deadpan sort of look, you can never tell what’s going through their minds. That’s probably down to shyness or a desire to be left alone. I think it’s fair to say that you don’t get much small talk with a {{lang|cy|Cofi}}."

Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales has a recording of Gareth Wyn Jones speaking the {{lang|cy|Cofi}} dialect.{{cite web |url=http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/rhagor/dialect/caernarfon/ |publisher=Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales |title=The Welsh dialect of Caernarfon |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006095546/http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/rhagor/dialect/caernarfon/ |archive-date=6 October 2012 |access-date=10 April 2011 }}

{{lang|cy|O Flaen dy Lygaid}} is an opera in the {{lang|cy|Cofi}} dialect which has been produced with the help of children from the {{lang|cy|Ysgubor Goch|italic=no}} housing estate in Caernarfon. The idea behind the ‘{{lang|cy|Cofi}} Opera’ is to create, produce and perform an opera with children from the estate performing alongside professional opera singers; the opera forms part of the {{lang|cy|Cofis Bach|italic=no}} project based in Caernarfon's {{lang|cy|Noddfa|italic=no}} Centre. The opera has been produced with the help of Caernarfon poet Meirion MacIntyre Hughes, composer Owain Llwyd and rapper Ed Holden.{{cite web |url=http://www.s4c.co.uk/ffeithiol/e_oflaendylygaid_cofi.shtml |title=O Flaen dy Lygiad; Cofi Opera |publisher=S4C |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201153847/http://www.s4c.co.uk/ffeithiol/e_oflaendylygaid_cofi.shtml |archive-date=1 December 2008 |access-date=10 April 2011 }}