By Katie-Ann Gupwell
Copyright dailypost
We Welsh folk possess all manner of quirks, with one being the language we frequently use in our daily conversations. Beyond having the Welsh language, we also employ several “Welshisms” that outsiders wouldn’t readily comprehend, with one of the finest examples being the term “mun.”
If you hail from the Valleys, you’ll undoubtedly have encountered the word “mun”, as most locals utter it virtually every single day. Whilst not being a conventional Welsh term, it’s regarded as a slice of Wenglish (Welsh-English dialect) slang, commonly employed to add emphasis, convey frustration or demonstrate sympathy, alongside being considered akin to saying “man” in English.
Despite lacking concrete meaning independently, it’s a term frequently used across Wales, and one man, known as Bagsy, recently tried to educate English people about what the word genuinely signifies. It’s reasonable to say his explanation proves rather amusing, and it’s not the first Welsh catchword to catch people off guard.
On Instagram, he clarified: “The Valleys speak of the day is ‘mun’. Typically used as a full stop. Fun fact, in his televised series Around The World In 80 Days, Michael Palin once described people from the Valleys as ‘you can tell when they’ve finished a sentence, because either they take a breath, or they say mun’.
“Mun is also the favourite word of H from Steps. Used in a sentence: ‘Boys mun!! You’re doing my b****y head ‘in.'”
Warning: Below video may contain offensive language
The clip has been watched hundreds of times with viewers rushing to share their thoughts. The explanation had many people in stitches.
One viewer commented: “Love this. I’m a mun’er.” Another chimed in with: “Aww, c’mon mun.”
A third responded: “Mun is used all over Wales.” Meanwhile, a fourth also noted: “Not just Valleys.”
Someone else also contributed: “Love these. Sent to my mam and she said a few other words of the day should be ‘by there’ and ‘what do you call it?'”
Previously, the term has also sparked discussion on Reddit. One user once enquired: “Is ‘mun’ a uniquely Welsh thing?” They sought clarification after observing the word being used “after many types of declarations.”
In response, one person explained: “I understand people saying it’s like ‘man’ [in] Newcastle, but it’s not quite like that. It can express exasperation, frustration, disappointment. It can be used as an emphasis: ‘I told you, mun!'”
Another contributed: “It’s from ‘myn’, the Welsh word used in countless expressions – myn duw, myn diawl etc. It’s derived from an early Welsh word meaning ‘mine’ (and related to it, of course, as to eg ‘mon’ in French) but in meaning in context is an equivalent of the ‘by’ in the English ‘by God’, etc.
“It came to be just used on its own. It’s commonly used in English by many Welsh people, as you know, but probably most would not be aware of its origin.”
A third also added: “It’s used frequently way up in Inverness. I actually thought it was a Highlands thing until I seen this question. Weird. Alright mun?”
