LANGUAGE AS SYMBOL IN CHURCHYARD MONUMENTS - THE USE OF WELSH IN 19TH-CENTURY AND 20TH-CENTURY PEMBROKESHIRE

Graveyard memorials combine form, decoration and inscription to commun icate the social persona of the deceased to those visiting the burial ground. In Pembrokeshire, south-east Wales, a linguistic divide known as the Landsker is expressed through graveyard memorials by the langua ge chosen for the inscription. Variability in language choice is demon strated not only through time and space, but also by status and religi ous affiliation (Anglican or nonconformist). Language differences refl ect wider cultural ties and these are also expressed through memorials , with the pedimented headstone popular in north Pembrokeshire being u sed as an example here.