Bilingual signs
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Bilingual signs are road signs or markings displaying directional, regulatory, or other information in two languages. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, these are ordinarily English and one other language (e.g. Welsh, Irish, Scottish Gaelic) which is either co-official or widely spoken in the area of the sign's location. In the vicinity of international ports and airports other languages may be included on signs, to warn, for example, of the the requirement to drive on the left. Such signs, if they use more than two languages are, strictly speaking, not "bilingual" but "multilingual".
Welsh-language signing
The layout and language of roadsigns is not usually seen as a hot political topic, but where there are political arguments over official use of language, signage (as the most obvious feature of any official language) are often seen as a pivotal issue.
Up until the introduction of Worboys type modern signs, road signage in Wales was almost entirely monolingual English and made widespread use of Anglicised place names. Examples include Dolgelly (Dolgellau), Aberayron (Aberaeron) and Carnarvon (Caernarfon). Both direction and warning signs were of the same type and format as those used elsewhere in the UK.
During the 1960s and 1970s, there were several court cases relating to the defacement, destruction, or removal of English-language-only signs in Wales, in protest at the omission of Welsh from these signs. These protests were organised by the Welsh Language Society (Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg), founded on 4 August 1962. Over the following decades hundreds of the society's members were imprisoned for actions related to the damage of Crown property.
One such court case in 1971 saw the trial of eight defendants (one of whom was the 20-year-old future First Minister Rhodri Morgan) disrupted by non-violent protest outside the Assize Court in Carmarthen. All but one of the accused were found guilty of conspiring to destroy road signs and were given suspended sentences ranging from three to twelve months in prison. Rhodri Morgan was acquitted of all charges.
The protests however were deemed to have been a success in terms of their primary objective: in 1972 the Bowen Committee recommended that systematic provision should be made for the inclusion of Welsh on all road signs.
Link to 1985 Welsh Regulations - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1985/713/contents/made
Link to 2023 Welsh Regulations - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2023/783/contents/made
Directional signage
The layout of bilingual direction signs in Wales differs from that in Scotland and the Republic of Ireland by not differentiating between languages by typeface or colour. The order in which each language appears has also not always been consistent across Wales, with highway authorities on the western side of Wales (areas that are strongly Welsh-speaking) traditionally putting Welsh first, and those in the more predominantly English-speaking north-east and south-east putting English first. New regulations, however, came into force on 31 March 2016 mandating that all new signs be in Welsh first – with existing English-first signage (in those areas where the authority had previously had such a policy) being replaced as and when other otherwise needed (expiry of useful life, new traffic arrangements and road layouts, etc.).
Traditionally only destinations within Wales have been signposted in Welsh as well as English, with those in England being signed monolingually. However, newer trunk-road signage is often bilingual even with regard to English destinations, e.g. Llundain / London, Canolbarth Lloegr / The Midlands.
Sign translation
Official translation list: https://www.gov.wales/bydtermcymru/other-resources/list-standard-bilingual-traffic-signs
Click to Expand...
| English | Welsh |
|---|---|
| yards | llath |
| GIVE WAY | ILDIWCH |
| REDUCE SPEED NOW | ARAFWCH NAWR |
| HEAVY PLANT CROSSING | PEIRIANNAU TRWM YN CROESI |
| Adverse camber | Cambr croes |
| Max speed | Cyflymder uchaf |
| Single file traffic | Un rhes o draffig |
| Single track road | Ffordd un trac |
| Low gear now | Gêr isel nawr |
| Keep in low gear | Cadwch mewn gêr isel |
| Low gear for × miles | Gêr isel am × filltir |
| Overhanging building | Adeilad bargodol |
| ARCH BRIDGE High vehicles use middle of road |
PONT FWA Cerbydau uchel defnyddiwch ganol y ffordd |
| Part time signals | Goleuadau rhan amser |
| Peak hour signals | Goleuadau oriau brig |
| School | Ysgol |
| Patrol | Hebryngwr |
| Playground | Maes chwarae |
| No footway for × yards | Dim troedffordd am × llath |
| Disabled people | Pobl anabl |
| Blind people | Pobl ddall |
| Disabled children | Plant anabl |
| Humped crossing | Croesfan ar dwmpath |
| When lights show × yards | Tra bydd golau × llath |
| Farm traffic | Traffig fferm |
| Wide vehicles | Cerbydau llydan |
| Tractors turning | Tractorau'n troi |
| Horse-drawn vehicles and animals | Cerbydau a dynnir gan geffyl ac anifeiliaid |
| Try your brakes | Profwch eich breciau |
| Ice | Rhew |
| Snow drifts | Lluwchfeydd |
| Ford | Rhyd |
| Soft verges | Lleiniau meddal |
| Humps | Twmpathau |
| FIRE STATION STOP when lights show |
GORSAF DÂN STOPIWCH pan fo'r golau'n fflachio |
| AMBULANCE STATION STOP when lights show |
GORSAF AMBIWLANS STOPIWCH pan fo'r golau'n fflachio |
| Accident | Damwain |
| ANIMAL DISEASE RABIES INFECTED AREA AHEAD |
CLEFYD ANIFEILLIAID Y GYNDDAREDD ARDAL HEINTIEDIG O'CH BLAEN |
| Oncoming vehicles in middle of road | Cerbydau'n dod atoch ar ganol y ffordd |
| Slow lorries for × miles | Lorïau araf am × filltir |
| Queues likely | Ciwiau'n debygol |
| One way | Unffordd |
| Dual carriageway | Ffordd ddeuol |
| Give way to oncoming vehicles | Ildiwch i gerbydau sy'n dod atoch |
| No vehicles 10 am - 4 pm except for access |
Dim cerbydau 10 am - 4 pm ac eithrio mynediad |
| PEDESTRIAN ZONE | PARTH CERDDWYR |
| PEDESTRIANS USE OTHER FOOTWAY |
CERDDWYR DEFNYDDIWCH Y DROETFFORDD ARALL |
| WORKS ACCESS |
MYNEDFA WAITH |
| WORKS TRAFFIC |
TRAFFIG GWAITH |
| Except for loading by | Ac eithrio llwytho gan |
| No articulated vehicles | Dim cerbydau cymalog |
| Slow vehicles | Cerbydau araf |
| No explosives | Dim ffrwyrdron |
| WEAK BRIDGE | PONT WAN |
| POLICE | HEDDLU |
| No loading | Dim llwytho |
| No stopping | Dim stopio |
| At any time on verge or footway | Unrhyw bryd ar y llain na'r droetffordd |
| URBAN CLEARWAY Monday to Friday |
CLIRFFORDD DREFOL Llun hyd Gwener |
| Resident permit holders only | Deiliaid trwydded preswyl yn unig |
| Goods vehicles loading only | Llwytho cerbydau nwyddau yn unig |
| Electric vehicles recharging point | Man gwefru cerbydau trydan |
| Permit holders only | Deiliaid trwydded yn unig |
| Controlled ZONE | PARTH a Reolir |
| Zone ENDS | DIWEDD y Parth |
| KEEP CROSSING CLEAR | CADWCH Y GROESFAN YN GLIR |
| ANOTHER TRAIN COMING | TRÊN ARALL YN DOD |
| Safe height | Uchder diogel |
| DRIVERS OF LARGE OR SLOW VEHICLES phone before crossing |
GYRWYR CERBYDAU MAWR NEU ARAF ffoniwch cyn croesi |
| Drivers of LARGE or SLOW VEHICLES must phone and get permission to cross --- LARGE means over ×'-×" (×.×m) long or ×'-×" (×.×m) wide or × tonnes total weight SLOW means 5 mph or less |
Rhaid i yrwyr CERBYDAU MAWR neu ARAF ffonio a chael caniatâd i groesi --- Ystyr MAWR yw dros ×'-×" (×.×m) hyd neu ×'-×" (×.×m) o led neu gyfanswm o × tunnell fetrig Ystyr ARAF yw 5 mya neu lai |
| PARK HERE AND USE PHONE AT CROSSING |
PARCIWCH YMA A DEFNYDDIO'R FFÔN WRTH Y GROESFAN |
| Escape lane ahead | Lôn ddianc o'ch blaen |
| No hard shoulder for × yards | Dim llain galed am × llath |
| Unsuitable for motor vehicles | Anaddas i gerbydau modur |
| Unsuitable for heavy goods vehicles | Anaddas i gerbydau nwyddau trwm |
| Single track road with passing places |
Ffordd un trac â mannau pasio |
| PASSING PLACE |
MAN PASIO |
| CENSUS STOP if directed |
CYFRIFIAD STOPIWCH os gofynnir ichi |
| WEIGHT CHECK |
MAN PWYSO |
| IN | I MEWN |
| NO EXIT | DIM FFORDD ALLAN |
| OUT | ALLAN |
| NO ENTRY | DIM MYNEDIAD |
| Information | Gwybodaeth |
| MOTORCYCLE TEST CENTRE |
CANOLFAN PROFI BEICIAU MODUR |
| Except buses | Ac eithrio bysiau |
| Traffic signal cameras | Camerâu goleuadau traffig |
| Home Zone | Parth Cartref |
| Quiet Lane | Lôn Dawel |
| taxi | tacsi |
| Except local buses | Ac eithrio bysiau lleol |
| Bus lane | Lôn fysiau |
| END OF ROUTE |
DIWEDD Y LLWYBR |
| Bus Stop | Safle Bysiau |
| Airport | Maes Awyr |
| Park and Ride | Parcio a Theithio |
| Car Park | Maes Parcio |
| Long stay | Arhosiad hir |
| Short stay | Arhosiad by |
| Shoppers | Siopwyr |
| Town centre | Canol y dref |
| SPACES | LLE AR GAEL |
| FULL | LLAWN |
| SERVICES | GWASANAETHAU |
| Junction | Cyffordd |
| Push button Wait for signal |
Gwasgwch y botwm Arhoswch am yr arwydd |
| Lane control signals ahead | Arwyddion rheoli lonydd o'ch blaen |
| Line painting | Peintio llinellau |
| Replacing damaged bridge supports |
Adnewyddu cynaliadau'r bont |
| Delays possible until Sept 15 |
Oedi'n bosibl tan fis Medi 15 |
| Sorry for any delay | Ymddiheurwn am unrhyw oedi |
| Skid risk | Perygl sgidio |
| WHEN RED LIGHT SHOWS WAIT HERE |
PAN FO'R GOLAU'N GOCH ARHOSWCH YMA |
| CYCLISTS DISMOUNT |
BEICWYR DEWCH ODDI AR EICH BEIC |
| SIGN NOT IN USE | ARWYDD SEGUR |
| GO | EWCH |
| Traffic control | Rheolaeth traffig |
| ENDS | DIWEDD |
Mistakes
Despite guidance provided by such bodies as the office of the Welsh Language Commission, the creation of ad-hoc signs is sometimes entrusted to third parties with no knowledge of Welsh, with ludicrous results. The press, TV, and social media are quick to highlight such mistakes, images of which tend to survive on the internet even long after they have been corrected.
Gaelic-language signs
Argyll and Bute Council, Highland Council and the North West Trunk Road Unit having been signing roads bilingually in English and Gaelic since 2002. The A9 was originally excluded, but that policy has been retracted.
On directional signs, Gaelic place names are signed in a different colour - yellow on green and green on white.
Irish-language signs
Most signs in the Republic of Ireland are bilingual. The Irish-language text on directional signs is in italics while the English is in ALLCAPS. There are two exceptions to this:
- Where the Irish and English names are identical (eg: Port Laoise) only one name is displayed in italics.
- The Gaeltacht is the part of Ireland that is recognised as predominantly Irish speaking. Consequently, the majority of signs in the Gaeltacht are in Irish only. A few exceptions, such as Dingle have been allowed. A sign in the Gaeltacht referring to a place outside it (eg: Galway) is allowed to be bilingual.
Bilingual signs are also used for places in Northern Ireland, such as Béal Feirste / BELFAST, An tIúr / NEWRY and Ard Mhacha / ARMAGH. Of particular note is Doire / DERRY (signed on the N2) which changes to "Londonderry" when crossing the border (signed on the A5).
Other multilingual signs
Aside from signs on leaving entrances to the UK (ports and airports) and random other locations telling people to drive on the left in multiple languages (usually English, French, German and another), there are some locations where bilingual signs exist informally.
Chinese on a street name sign in the Chinatown area of the West End.
Old Norse on a village entry sign in the Shetland Islands.
French on a town entry sign in Jersey
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