This is the third volume in a pioneering series of authoritative studies on the social history of the Welsh language. It contains fourteen chapters, all written by acknowledged experts in the field, together with many explanatory maps and figures. The volume seeks to make a contribution to our understanding of the complex relationship between language and community in the long nineteenth century. The linguistic geography of Wales is placed within the context of the Celtic language family and the broader central European experience. The projected series on 'A Social History of the Welsh Language' - the fruits of the second major research project of the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies of the University of Wales - will interest and intrigue the general public as well as specialists in the field and help readers to familiarise themselves with the history of a language which, over the centuries, has been an integral part of the everyday life of the Welsh people and of their sense of nationhood.