Gwynedd business owner says Welsh title felt 'completely natural'

Osian Wyn Owen set up Ar Goedd, a Gwynedd-based public relations company, last year as Welsh enterprises tackled countless unprecedented issues thrown up by the coronavirus.

And according to Osian, who now lives in Caernarfon: “The Welsh language is as much a part of the area’s way of life as the landscape and the people.

“Speaking Welsh is as natural as breathing. And using the Welsh language isn’t just ‘the right thing to do’, it’s also wise from a business perspective.

“Just like water or wind, the Welsh language is a natural resource available to us.

“Also, as Wales begins to re-imagine tourism, we need to start discussing the role that the Welsh language and the Welsh identity plays in the future of that industry.

“Wales needs to start creating a form of sustainable tourism (ecologically, economically, and linguistically). and the Welsh language and culture have a major role to play in that type of tourism.

“But more fundamentally, the decision to give my company a Welsh-only name was a natural decision. We're in Gwynedd, after all."

Explaining the meaning behind the company name, Ar Goedd, and why he chose it, Osian added: “‘Ar goedd’ is a Welsh language phrase. If someone says something ‘ar goedd’, they say it publicly, openly, in the sight or hearing of all.

“The Welsh word ‘coedd’ derives from the word ‘cyhoedd’, meaning ‘the public.’ The closest adaption I can offer in English is to say something ‘aloud.’ But I don’t think that quite cuts it.

“There is a far more appropriate phrase in Latin – ‘coram populo’ – meaning ‘in the presence of the people; publicly.’

“I chose to name the company ‘Ar Goedd’ because that is my vision. To shout about Welsh businesses, Welsh services, and Welsh ideas, and to do so publicly and openly. To do it ‘ar goedd.’”

To find out more about Ar Goedd, click here to visit their website.