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Gwefan Cymru-Catalonia |
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A
Treatise on the Chief Peculiarities that Distinguish the Cymraeg, as Spoken by
the Inhabitants of Gwent and Morganwg Respectively.
Awdur: Pererindodwr
1/ The Cambrian Journal Volume 2 (1855) 305-314
27 The Cambrian Journal Volume 3 (1856) 36-40
3/ The Cambrian Journal Volume 3 (1856) 239-253
4/ The Cambrian Journal Volume 4 (1857) 36-38
5/ The Cambrian Journal Volume 4 (1857) 207-210
(delwedd J6259c)
Tair rhan y Wenhwyseg (Dwyrain / Canol /
Gorllewin) yn ôl yr erthygl hon / three zones of Gwentian (East, Middle, West)
according to this article.
(Additions or my comments in
brackets and orange letters. Some typing mistakes yet to be hunted down and
eliminated. The spelling in English and Welsh is the same as in the original)
(We have omitted the
text at the beginning of this section - three pages - remarks on the eisteddfod
tradition in Morgannwg).
(Note: (1) in the lists
of examples below, where the original has ‘same’, I have repeated the phrase.
(2) After the initials representing the zones that Pererindodwr has delineated,
I have added a indication of the zone for clarity’s sake. For example, the
author has simply “E.”, but I have added (East = the area east of the Rhymni river)
(3) In addition, I have altered slightly his order of zones in the examples,
which in the original is M / E / W / D / P. (Middle, Eastern, Western, Dyved,
Pure). I have placed E first to make a more logical continuum from east to west
- E / M / W / D / P.)
(delwedd J6260)
____________________________________________
The Cambrian Journal, Volume 3, 1856, pp305-314
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305. PHILOLOGY. A TREATISE ON THE CHIEF PECULIARITIES THAT DISTINGUISH THE CYMRAEG,
AS SPOKEN BY THE INHABITANTS OF GWENT AND MORGANWG RESPECTIVELY. BY PERERINDODWR INTRODUCTION Inasmuch as the subject under consideration bears so closely upon the
Welsh language in general, I feel it incumbent to lay down in this
introduction a few observations respecting its antiquity, as well as the
similarity which exists between it and the dialect of Brittany, &c. under
consideration bears so closely upon the Welsh language in general, I feel it
incumbent to lay down in this introduction a few obser- vations respecting
its antiquity, as well as the similarity which exists between it and the
dialect of Brittany, &c. Paul Pezron has, in his Antiquities of Nations, more particularly of
the Celtæ or Gauls, paid a tribute of respect to the Welsh language, such as
will not be forgotten whilst the English language exists. He says that the
Cymry journeyed into this country from the Tower of Babel, through Armenia,
Cappadocia, Phrygia; Greece, Germany, and the surrounding countries. He
asserts, moreover, that almost all the original languages of the world have
borrowed words from the Cymry or Celts, such as the Greek, Latin, German,
&c. Further, he maintains it to be a matter of astonishment that a
language should be still spoken by the inhabitants of Wates which has
survived the revolutions of four thousand years ! That the Cymraeg is the same language as that of Brittany can be
proved by the events of primæval history. When Germanus and Lupus came over
into this country, in the fifth century, for the express purpose of
suppressing Pelagianism, what was the language in which they preached? The
answer is clear; they addressed the Cymry in pure Cymraeg; for vain would it
have been to expect that they could refute Pelagius through the |
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PHILOLOGY. 306. medium of a translation; vain would it have been to preach to the Cymry
in Latin or Gallic. Reason used to perform its functions in those early days,
as well as now, and the Cymry, even then, knew how useless it would be to
talk Greek with a Briton, or Cymraeg with a Grecian. Another thing which
proves this is the fact that the relatives of many of the Cymry dwelt
formerly in Brittany. There it was that Emyr Llydaw lived, and to him
probably went Teilo from Llandaff, when the yellow fever raged in this
country. Thither also went Eudaf, after the death of Teilo, when Prince
Cadwgan quarreled with him on a matter touching the archiepiscopal rights and
dignity. Thus we find that at that early period there existed an intercourse
between the people of this country and the Armoricans, and, in confirmation
of the same truth, might be adduced the histories of Cadwaladr, Rhys ab
Tewdwr, and others. but there can be no doubt that they were originally the
same nation, and possessed a common language; and this fact can be further
corroborated by the present similarity which exists between the two dialects.
And here, ere I leave the subject in question, I shall lay down some few
specimens of such a mutual resemblance. THE ALPHABETS OF SOME OF THE LANGUAGES OF THE WORLD. . Hebrew Aleph, Beth, Gimel, Daleth, He, Vau, Zain, Cheth, Teth, Jod,
Caph, Lamed, Mem, Nun Greek Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta, Iota,
Kappa, Lambda, Mu, Nu, Xi Erse Alim, Beith, Coll, Duir, Eadha, Fearn, Gort, Idho, Luis, Muim,
Nion, Onn, Pethboc, Ri Cymraeg A, B, C, Ch, D, Dd, E, F, Ff, G, Ng, H, I, L Breton A, B, K, D, E, F, G, H, C, C’h, I, J, L, M English A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N |
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PHILOLOGY. 307. Hebrew Samech, Ain, Phe, Tzaddi, Koph, Resh, Shin, Tau Greek Omicron, Pi, Rho, Sigma, Tau, Upsilon, Phi, Chi, Psi, Omega Erse Sail, Tinne, Ur Cymraeg Ll, M, N, O, P, Ph, R, S, T, Th, U, W, Y Breton N, O, P, R, S, T, U, V, W, Y, Z English O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z Though the Cymraeg, Erse and Armorican be derived from one common
source, their characters differ in the present day to some extent; but it may
be easily seen that the variance is much greater between the Erse and the
Breton than between the latter and the Cymraeg. The circumstance would prove
that the mutual relationship of the last mentioned is closer now than that of
either and the Erse, whatever they might have been formerly. Both the Cymry
and the Irish recognized ideas by means of their letters in primitive times.
See Elfennau neu Gyntefigion y Gymraeg, by W. Jones. I know not whether that
principle is practically applied to the Armorican or not; but, inasmuch as
the dialect of Brittany is derived from the same stock as the Cymraeg, it is
but reasonable to suppose that it did, when the intercourse between the two
countries was more extensive than it has been of late years. The old mode among the Cymry of naming their letters was by suffxing
the vowel i to each consonant; but, in the present day, e is sometimes put
before the consonant, and sometimes i follows it, with the view of giving it
its proper sound or name. The same kind of irregularity pervades the
appellation of the Armorican and Erse characters. Ere I quit this subject I shall offer a few remarks on the alphabet of
the Armoricans. In the first place, I will again lay before the reader the
characters which compose |
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PHILOLOGY. 308. the Breton
language. In the Breton Dictionary of Dom Louis le Palatier, there are two
Breton alphabets, which differ in form from the Roman letters; neither does
it appear that they bear any relation to the Bardic alphabet. The characters
of the two alphabets under consideration represent the following letters: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, M, N O, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, Z D. L. says that
apt critics are of opinion, after a profound research, that the alphabets in
question were merely the result of fancy, and that their antiquity could not
be established by any suffient proof. Hence it appears that the Breton
alphabet is not yet fixed (1) i.e., that it is not always the same in the
elementary books which are compiled for the purpose of teaching the people to
read. This is not so much to be wondered at, for, until lately, the children
were taught to read through the medium of Latin and French books. A few years
back, elementary books of any kind in the Breton tongue were rarely seen, nor
are such, yet, of a very usual occurrence. And as there exists no fixed rule
for the formation of the alphabet, it is therefore exhibited according to the
tastes of individual authors. A book was published at Brest, a few years ago,
for the purpose of teaching children to read Breton, of which the arrangement
of the alphabet is as follows:— A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, X, Y, Z, W. This is literally
the French alphabet, with the exception of the w. It is strange, moreover,
that the compiler should have omitted the c'h, since so much of its sound
pervades the Armorican dialect. Mr. Gonidec has
arranged an alphabet, which is to be seen in the list of alphabets exhibited
in this Treatise, and this is considered to be the best, and most suitably
adapted to the genius of the language. I will lay it (1) This Treatise
seems to have written about the year 1838. |
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PHILOLOGY. 309. before my readers once more, side by side,
with the Welsh alphabet: Breton — a, b, k, c'h, d, -, e, f, -, g, -,
h, ch, i, j, l, -, m, n, o, p, -, r, s, t, -, u, w, -, z. Cymraeg—a, b, c, ch, d, dd, e, f, ff, g,
ng, h, -, i, -, l, ll, m, n, o, p, ph, r, s, t, th, u, w, y, -. It is now incumbent to make a few
observations respecting the proper sound of certain letters in the Breton
alphabet. I shall confine my remarks to those letters in the Breton which are
not to be found in the Cymraeg; with regard to the others, as they have the
same sound in both dialects, it would be useless to notice them here. C’h in
the Breton is the ch of the Welsh; thus, c'houce'h [sic; = c’houec’h], which
answers to our chwech. Ch is sounded like the sh of the English. Le Gonidec
says, in his Dictionary, that the use of ch and j is a recent corruption;
that the words which now begin with ch began formerly with s; and, in the
same manner, i was used instead of j. It is exceptions and alterations of
this kind that have from time to time caused so much variation in the
colloquialism of both dialects, and prevent the inhabitants of the one
country from being able to understand those of the other. The Armorican u does not possess quite the
same sound as the Welsh u. It is considered that the sound of the former is
something between that of the English and the Welsh sound; and when it is
preceded by o in the same syllable, both letters are pronounced as w, as in
the words laouen, llawen; dour, dwfr. Sometimes the o partakes largely of the
sound of the the w, as taô, tam; taoli, tawlu; marô, marw; cleo, clyw, &c
It is observable that the six Welsh letters
following are not in the Breton alphabet, dd, ng, ll, ph, th, y. This is an
important exception. It might be supposed, at first sight, that there existed
a great difference between the genius of the two alphabets; but, when we
examine them more closely, it will appear that this difference consists more
in the degeneracy of pronunciation, |
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PHILOLOGY. 310. which seems to have happened in reference
to some of the Breton characters, than in the want of letters corresponding
to those of the Cymraeg. The following examples will show that such is the
case relative to the letters in question. Instead of the Welsh dd and th, the
Bretons use z: thus, Cym.— gwenith, haidd, gwirionedd, trugaredd, &c.
Arm.-— gweniz, heiz, gwirionez, trugarez. Though there be no ng in Breton,
yet when the Welshman says fy ngwraig, the Armorican will say va c'hreg. L is
not a liquid, therefore the sound of ll is perfectly unknown to the Bretons.
Since the sound of our ll is not to be found in the Breton dialect, it is
remarkable that I should nevertheless be invested with two different sounds,
one being soft, the other hard. The soft sound is indicated by one l, the
hard by two. Thus coll, pwll, pell, in Welsh, are also written in Breton,
coll, poull, pell. Notwithstanding this strange arrangement, undoubtedly the
old Cymric mode constituted the principle on which it was formed; but the
wonderful part of it is, that a gravitone should be distinguished by means of
a double consonant. The truth is, that lingual arrangements are unlimited.
The Armoricans do not possess the letter ph, yet f is made to supply this
deficiency; thus, when we write in Welsh ei phen, in the Breton it is written
he fann [sic; = fenn]. With regard to y, it would appear that the Breton is
destitute of the sound which is assigned to it in Cymraeg, when it stands as
an article. In the dialect of Brittany, e and i are used for y, in the words
in which the Cymry use this letter. Dyn, byd, ty, pryd, &c., are written
den, bed, ti, pred, &c. From the above observations it will be sæn
that, although the Breton dialect is unacquainted with some letters that are
to be found in the Welsh alphabet, it yet possesses such as are equivalent,
and is accordingly enabled, in some degree, to keep up the pronunciation. Supposing that the Breton tongue once
possessed the which are severally attributed in the Cymraeg to dd, ng, Il,
and th, as it is likely it did, I know not to what cause may be assigned the
degeneracy which has |
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PHILOLOGY. 311 taken place in the vocal elements of the
language, and I must confess that I am not yet in a position to investigate
the subject thoroughly. But I may suggest the probability that the degeneracy
in question has arisen from the national and commercial union and
relationship which subsist between the Bretons and the French. It is clear
that a Frenchman would be unable to pronounce those Cymric letters which are
not to be found in the Breton language, but that he can easily sound every
letter in the present alphabet, except the c'h. A Frenchman cannot sound the
English th, consequently he cannot sound the Cymric dd and th. In his attempt
to pronounce the th, he gives it a sound similar to that of z; and,
accordingly, he says zat instead of that, &c. It is the z, as I have
already mentioned, that is substituted for dd and th in Breton. I ought here
to observe that the use of z, instead of the said letters, is, like every
other degeneracy, far from being universal and uniform. Probably only about
one out of four sounds the z at the end of words; the greater number
pronounce gwirionez, trugarez, &c., as if they were written gwirione,
trugare, &c. Among the Veneti, where, it is said, the Breton is most like
the Welsh, h is used at the end of words instead of z, to which they give a
slight sound. Their gwirionez, trugarez, &c., are written gwirioneh,
trugareh, &c. Neither can a Frenchman sound the ng; he would pronounce
king and things, kin and zins. It would be quite unnecessary to say that he
is incapable of giving its proper sound to the Welsh ll; further, he can
sound w only as v. In one of the best French grammars it is directed that w
be sounded as v, and, as an example, it is said, that Warwick should be
pronounced as if it were written Varvich. Likewise, in Breton documents, we
find that the letter v represents the sound of w sometimes, ar virionez being
written instead of ar wirionedd. I am unwilling to assert that a Frenchman
could not possibly learn the proper sounds of dd, ng, u, th, v, but the task
would be a diffcult one. My object to |
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PHILOLOGY. 312. what a ruinous destiny would await them,
were they to to pass through the lips of the generality of the French, and
thc nature of the vocal degeneracy which follows a close and long connexion
between the French and a people in possession of a Iangunge that has in it
such letters. I wish to show the probability that what I have noticed has
contributed to corrupt the original sounds of the Breton tongue. The alleged
cause answers exactly to the degenerate effect which must have occurred in the
sounds of the Breton, for it is clear that this and the Cymraeg were
originally but one language, and that we have no reason to suppose that it is
the latter that has undergone a change. There appertain to the Breton, as well as
to the Cymraeg, liquid or mutable letters. The mutable consonants m Welsh are
b, c, d, g, Il, m, p, rh, t; in Breton, b, h, d, g, m, p, t. They are here.
arranged in parallel columns: - Breton. (1) B is changed into v, p. K - c'h, k. D – z,
t. G – c’h, k. M – v. P – b, f. T – d, z. Gw – w, kw. Cymraeg. B is changed into f, m. C – ch, ng, g. D –
n, dd. G – ng. M – f: P – ff, mh, b. T – th, nh, d. Gw - w. Though the mutation of these letters be not
governed entirely in the same way in both languages, owing principally to the
corruption which has attended the sound of the liquids, yet it will be seen
that it is regulated by the same law, and in the same manner, in more than
one instance. In order to see this, we need only compare together the
following examples: - (1) The people of Britnnny style themselves
Brytoned and Breizaded, synonymous terms; and their language they call
Brezonek. The French and the English call the Armoricans Bretone, [sic; = Bretons]
and their language, Breton. |
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PHILOLOGY. 313. |
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314 PHILOLOGY. hwy a ddaethant i wlad Moab, ac a fuant yno. hag égilé chelion ginidig e oant euz a Ephrata é Bethleem Juda ead é bró ar Voabited é c'houmzond enô. I am indebted to Mr. J. Jenkins, of Morlaix (lately of Maes y Cwmwr), for a great many of the preceding sentiments, which are scattered throughout his letters in the Gral, and in his An A, B, K. I also received assistance from writers in Seren Gomer. Ere I close these observations, I will confidently say there is not so much resemblance between any other two languages under the sun as there is between the two in question; and that the difference which exists at the present day has been occasioned by the distance of one country from the other. We must consider, moreover, that a cessation of national intercourse between them has continued during several centuries. Also, if the French people, situated beyond the sea, have tended to estrange the pronunciation and speech of the two nations, perhaps that the English, on this side, have had a similar effect. 'l'hese, with other causes, have brought about such a change in the original language, that it is quite hopeless to see it again as one with itself, and intelligible to the two races - the Bretons and the Cymry. (To be continued.) |
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(delwedd J6261)
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The Cambrian Journal, Volume 3, 1856,
pp36-40 A TREATISE ON THE CHIEF PECULIARITIES THAT DISTINGUISH THE CYMRAEG,
AS SPOKEN BY THE INHABITANTS OF GWENT AND MORGANWG RESPECTIVELY. By PERERINDODWR (Continued from
page 314, vil. ii) THE
GWENHWYSEG, OR DIALECT OF GWENT I will now endeavour to ascertain what is
meant by “The Gwenhwyseg” or “Dialect of Gwent.” It may be supposed
sometimes, when so much is said about the Gwenhwyseg, that it is a language
distinct from the Cymraeg. Iolo Morgannwg, at page 20 of his Poems Lyric
and Pastoral, thus observes of the dialect of Gwent, or Siluria:- |
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37. “The originals of these Triades are
in the Silurian (which is the most ancient dialect and orthography.) The Silurian differs, in many
particulars, from the Biblical dialect of modern writers.” In order to understand what Iolo meant in
the above paragraphs, I shall subjoin
a few of the Triads under
consideration. TRIOEDD BARDDAS. “1.
Tri un cyntefig y sydd ag nis gellir amgen nag un o hdnynt; un Duw, un Gwirionedd, ag un
Rhyddyd; sef y bydd lle bo cydbwys
pob gwrth. “2.
Tri pheth tardd o r tri Un cyntefig, pob Bywyd; pob Daioni; a phob Gallu. “9.
Tri pheth dir y byddant; eitha, Gallu; eitha, deall; ag eitha, cariad Duw. “31.
Tri chyntefigaeth Gwynfyd, Annrwg; Anneisiau; ng Annarfod.
“32.
Tri adfer Cylch y Gwynfyd, Awen gysefin; a gared gysefin; a Chof y cysefin; am nas gellir
Gwynfyd hebddynt. “42.
Tri pheth y sydd ar eu difant; Tywyll; Anwir; a Marw.
“43.
Tri pheth sy'n ymgadarnhau beunydd, gan fod mwyaf yr ymgais attynt Cariad; Gwybodaeth; a
Chyfiawnder."—E. Williams' Lyric
Poems, pp. 237—9. In looking at the above Triads we see
nothing that is not rather pure
Cymraeg; its chief peculiarity seems to
be, that substantive words, &c., are understood, though they may not be expressed. With respect to Iolo’s statement that the
Gwenhwyseg differs greatly from the Biblical style, the same may be
predicated of the Dyvedeg (the dialect of
Dyfed = south-west Wales), and
also of any other dialect in Wales. The Biblical Cymraeg was written in a
middle style, the language being preserved smooth, clear, and intelligible
for every part of Wales. And this uniformity continues still all over the
Principality, for the Bible is understood by the Cymry of Cardiff and
Holyhead, Gelli (= Y
Gelligandryll, ‘Hay on Wye’) and St. David’s Promontory, with equal
ease and clearness. It is thus free from provincial accents and
phraseologies; and it may be asserted that the Bible is |
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38. not written in the dialect of Dyved, or of Powys,
with as much truth as that it is not written in the Gwenhwyseg. (1) |
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39. adversity. How many orthographical changes
soever may be seen in old Welsh manuscripts, and however varied are the
present modes of spelling the ancient language, yet it cannot be believed for
a moment that the language of Gwent, like those of Cornwall and Armorica,
possesses a vocabulary peculiar to itself; for, in respect of grammatical
construction, the language of Gwent was the same as that of Powys, or of any
other part of Wales; its distinctiveness consisted in its provincial
conditions and cultivated elegance. |
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40. added much to the knowledge of their tribe from
the learning of the Romans, in which the bards seemed especially to have
improved. It was, undoubtedly, from that source that a knowledge of the
poetical quantities was derived, - a knowledge which has never to this day
been possessed by the bards of any other province of Wales. About the said
era, the art of poetry was greatly cultivated,- the principal canons adopted
to the tendencies of the language were traced, - and resplendent learning was
scattered over the country by the ecclesiastics of the blessed College of
Cattwg the Wise, at Llanveithin (Llancarvan)
(Llanfeuthin, (Llancarfan)), (Llancarfan),
and Bangor Illtyd (Bangor
Illtud), in Llanilltyd Vawr (Llanilltud Fawr), as well as of other
celebrated schools. |
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The Cambrian Journal, Volume 3, 1856.
Section 2 pp239-253 239. commendation bestowed upon the several
parts, and have much pleasure in introducing the work to our readers as a
most valuable contribution to the literature of the Principality. The work
has been published by subscription, and the subscribers may be warmly
congratulated on the possession of a volume which reflects the highest credit
upon its authors, and which ought to be found in the library of every
gentleman connected with Wales, or interested in Cambrian literature. THOMAS STEPHENS. Merthyr Tydvil, May, 1856. A TREATISE ON THE CHIEF PECULIARITIES THAT DISTINGUISH THE CYMRAEG,
AS SPOKEN BY THE INHABITANTS OF GWENT AND MORGANWG RESPECTIVELY. By PERERINDODWR (Continued from
page 40) THE DIALECT OF MORGANWG MORGANWG boasts of the antiquity of its
literary institutions, its bardic chair, and the provincial peculiarities of
its dialect; and it is my opinion that there is neither in practice, nor on
record, anything so old as some things which are used in the dialect of this
province. There was a hot controversy, lately, between the Rev. John Jones,
(Tegid,) of Oxford, and the Rev. W. B. Knight, of Margam, respecting the
orthography of the Welsh. The former insisted, vehemently, upon the etymology
of the language as the criterion of orthography, and made use of marks for
the purpose of distinguishing the grave and light sounds. His system is to be
seen in the Essay for which he received the gold medal at the Caermarthen
Eisteddvod, A.D. 1829. The latter followed the orthography of the old Welsh
Bibles, using a multiplicity of |
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ON THE CHIEF PECULIARITIES. 240. |
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THAT DISTINGUISH THE CYMRAEG. 241 but this is a mistake, for there was an
older system in Morganwg than the one of Caermarthen. After the death of
Arthur, and the confusion of wars, Cimbric lore and learning greatly
declined; but about the beginning of the ninth century, Ceraint, the Blue Bard,
flourished, and revived a chair at Llandaff, which had for its motto
"God and all Goodness." This was the beginning of the Chair of
Morganwg as distinguished from the Chair of the Bards of the Isle of Britain,
or the one of Caerleon-upon-Usk, under the system of the Round Table, though
it was some time afterwards that it was called the Chair of Morganwg. Einion ab Collwyn established a chair in
Tir Iarll, which district comprised the Pil, Margam, y Bettws, and
Llangynwyd. This chair was called the Chair of Einion. He was the person who
was called Einion the Betrayer, because he had betrayed Iestyn ab Gwrgan into
the hands of Robert Fitzhamon. Robert fought against Iestyn, and wrested
Morganwg from him, when in the division of Morganwg, Einion received the
lordship of Misgyn, which reached to Tir Iarll. Cai Hir, lord of the comot of Maesmawr, was
the first who fixed a chair in the comot of Maesmawr, having removed it from
Caerleon out of the way of the devastation and incursion of the Saxons. In
the wars of Rhys ab Tewdwr and Iestyn ab Gwrgan, this chair was again
disturbed, and continued to be so until the time of William, Earl of
Gloucester. It was during his life and provincial sway that the name of the
comot of Maesmawr was changed into that of Tir Iarll; where he revived the
chair, and bestowed privileges and immunities upon the bards. - Cyfrinach y
Beirdd, preface, p. 10. Now it is evident that the system of
Morganwg is much older than that of David ab Edmund, at Caermarthen. We see also that the province of Gwent was
supreme in regard to the bardic chair of Cymru, since there is no mention of
any such institution until the time of Arthur, after the departure of the
Romans. It is at that era, it may be said, the Cymric bardic chair commenced
its |
|
|
|
|
|
242. existence, and thus the province of Gwent
is the Eve of the bardic chairs unto this day, though there is nothing of the
kind there at present. (1) Nevertheless, Gwent may boast of one of the most
glorious Welsh societies that the world ever for the cultivation and
protection of any language whatsoever. May success always and for ever attend
it. The Welsh Society which was lately
established at Cowbridge has assumed the name of the Chair of Morganwg. The
bards of Merthyr, in like manner, call their institution the Chair of Merthyr
Tydvil. The name of Gorsedd Morganwc still What is
meant by the name is, the Order which Iolo claimed, and which he bequeathed
to his son Taliesin; the operations of this gorsedd are carried on at the
rocking-stone; where bardic degrees are conferred upon worthy candidates. THE
PECULIARITIES THAT CHARACTERIZE THE DIALECTS OF GWENT AND MORGANWG, AS SPOKEN
BY THE PRESENT INHABITANTS. That provinces differ in the mode of
articulating, and in the use of the same words, is clear, as may be seen in
the variety which exists between Gwent and Dyved, and between Deheubarth and
Gwynedd. It is not unusual to see a lay peasant from Gwynedd unable to
converse with a man of similar character from Dyved. The acw, efo, cethin
&c. , of the Gwyneddian, and the practice of dragging his words to the
point of his tongue, into a kind o lisp, his slow mode of speaking, together
with a provincial accent, render his speech so strange to the ear of a
Dimetian, that the latter cannot, without considerable difficulty, understand
what the North-man says. On the other hand, the thin voice, the lively and
abrupt (1) We are happy to inform our readers that
tbe ancient bardic gorsedd was revived on the banks of the Tav, about six
yeaß ago, and that its operations are carried on duly, and with much
solemnity, at the several equinoxes and solstices, according to primitive
usagæ. —ED. CAMB. JOUR. |
|
|
|
|
|
243. utterance of the Dimetian, together with
his lweth, ymbeidis, siompol, &c., and his peculiar accent, cause
his language to be rather unintelligible to the inhabitants of Gwynedd. |
|
|
|
|
|
244. the dialects of those countries
respectively. But though the field on the present occasion is so limited, I
will endeavour to creep towards some plan, whereby I may show what I can of
the characterisitcs of the dialects of Gwent and Morgannwg. Example l. M. — Dydd da chi. E. — Same. W. D. — Dydd da chi, and dydd dawch. P.(4) --- Dydd da i chwi; the verb Bydded
being understood. The pronunciation of the central division
is the same as that of the eastern, in the above salutation, but in the (4) M. denotes the Middle division, E. the
Eastern, W. the Western, D. Dyved, and P. the Cymraeg in its purity. Let this
be borne in mind throughout all the examples in the following pages. |
.....
Example 1
|
|
|
(a good day to
you) |
|
|
(East
= the area east of the Rhymni river) |
Dydd
da chi |
|
|
(Middle, = the area
between the Rhymni river and Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) |
Dydd da chi |
|
|
(West = the area west of
Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr / Cwm |
Dydd da chi, and dydd dawch |
|
|
(Dyfed = south-west
Wales) |
Dydd da chi, and dydd dawch |
|
|
(= “Cymraeg in its
purity”, that is, Standard Welsh) |
Dydd da i chwi; the
verb Bydded being understood |
|
|
|
|
|
(1) (A footnote adds: “Lwc dda is the Cardiganshire
pronunciation. - S.E” - this probably means that “luck”
represents the modern English pronunciation, which would be spelt “lyc” in
Welsh), &c., are the
same throughout Example 2. M.—Ble chi 'n
myned ? E.—Same. W.—Ble chi'n mynd
? D.—Ble chi 'n mynd
? and very often gado. P.—Pa le yr ydych
chwi yn myned ?
(A footnote adds: “This appears to
be a mistake for Ble chi’n cadw? (where are you keeping? or, where do you
live?) a phrase often used in Ble’r ewch chi? |
..
Example 2
|
|
|
(where are you going?) |
|
|
(East = the area east of
the Rhymni river) |
Ble chi’n mynd? |
|
|
(Middle, = the area
between the Rhymni river and Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) |
Ble chi’n mynd?
|
|
|
(West = the area west of
Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr / Cwm |
Ble chi’n mynd? |
|
|
(Dyfed = south-west
Wales) (Is this from English ‘to gad’ = go about?) |
Ble chi’n mynd? and
very often gado. |
|
|
(= “Cymraeg in its
purity”, that is, Standard Welsh) |
Pa le yr ydych chwi yn
myned? |
.....
(delwedd
3985) (tudalen 246)
Example 3
|
|
|
(where have you come
from / where did you come from?) |
|
|
(East = the area east of
the Rhymni river) |
O ble dethoch chi? |
|
|
(Middle, = the area
between the Rhymni river and Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) |
O ble dethoch chi? Singular
number, |
|
|
(West = the area west of
Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr / Cwm |
O ble dethoch chi? Singular
number, |
|
|
(Dyfed = south-west
Wales) |
O ble deithoch chi? Singular, |
|
|
(= “Cymraeg in its
purity”, that is, Standard Welsh) |
O ba le y daethoch chi? |
The above questions are very often asked without the preposition o, as Ble
dethoch chwi?
There is another inquiry in the past tense of
the verb bod, which is thus used:-
Example 4
|
|
|
(where have you been /
where were you?) |
|
|
(East = the area east of
the Rhymni river) |
Ble
buot ti? Plural, Ble buoch chi? |
|
|
(Middle, = the area
between the Rhymni river and Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) |
Ble
buot ti? Plural, Ble buoch chi? |
|
|
(West = the area west of
Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr / Cwm |
Ble
buest ti? Plural, Ble buoch chi? |
|
|
(Dyfed = south-west
Wales) |
Ble
buest ti? Plural, Ble buoch chi? |
|
|
(= “Cymraeg in its purity”,
that is, Standard Welsh) |
Pa
le y buaist ti? Plural, Pa le y buoch chwi? |
Example 5
|
|
|
(It’s very cold
weather) |
|
|
(East = the area east of
the Rhymni river) |
Mai’n dywydd gôr iawn |
|
|
(Middle, = the area
between the Rhymni river and Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) |
Mai’n dywydd gôr iawn
|
|
|
(West = the area west of
Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr / Cwm |
Mai’n dywydd ôr iawn |
|
|
(Dyfed = south-west
Wales) |
Mai’n dewi wêr iawn; sometimes ymbeidis, or embydus |
|
|
(= “Cymraeg in its
purity”, that is, Standard Welsh) |
Mae yn dywydd oer iawn
|
If the weather be fair, the expression throughout Gwent and Morganwg is,
Mai’n dywydd fine uncomon, but this is never heard in Dyved. If the atmosphere be close it is
said,
mai’n dywydd mwrn iawn, and mai’n fwrn uncomon;
also, Mai’n dywydd moglyd uncomon, and
mai’n dywydd brwnt uncomon.
Example 6
|
|
|
(She’s a very beautiful
girl) |
|
|
(East = the area east of
the Rhymni river) |
Merch
lân fudyr yw hi |
|
|
(Middle, = the area
between the Rhymni river and Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) |
Merch
lân fudyr yw hi |
|
|
(West = the area west of
Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr / Cwm |
Merch
lân iawn yw hi |
|
|
(Dyfed = south-west Wales) |
Merch
lân iawn yw hi; or Merch lân odiaeth yw hi |
|
|
(= “Cymraeg in its
purity”, that is, Standard Welsh) |
Merch
lân iawn yw hi; or Merch lân odiaeth yw hi |
The above import of the word budr is sadly misplaced. Its real meaning
is dirty or loathsome;
highly complimentary to the fair
sex! The expression is heard in various forms; thus merch led lân yw hi;
merch gryn
(delwedd 3986) (tudalen 247)
lân yw
hi, and merch
bert yw hi.The last adjective is very often used in Dyved. The same words
are employed throughout all the above divisions to denote the quality of
anything created or made.
(In standard
Welsh glân = pure, clean; in the south it is also ‘beautiful, pretty, fair’. In
the north and in standard Welsh ‘budr’ = dirty. In the south the word for dirty
is ‘brwnt’, and ‘budr’ is used as an intensifier, rather as in English
terribly, awfully, dead, etc. - awfully pretty, dead pretty. In the spoken
Welsh in both north and south, budr > budur)
Example
7
|
|
|
(Go to the market to buy veal) |
|
|
(1) E. |
(East = the area east of the Rhymni river) |
|
|
(2) M. |
(Middle, = the area between the Rhymni
river and Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) |
|
|
(3) W. |
(West = the area west of Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr
/ Cwm Rhondda / Aber-dâr) |
|
|
(4) D. |
(Dyfed = south-west Wales) |
|
|
(5) P. |
(= “Cymraeg in its purity”, that is,
Standard Welsh) |
In Gwent and
Morganwg they often say, cerwch, dos, cera; the two latter words
are very frequently employed in every case of a command in Gwentllwg. In the
western division they say, when haste is enjoined, Pant a chi (in fact, Bant â chi). This expression would be scarcely
understood in any part of Gwent.
Example
8
|
|
|
(Hurry up, and come back at once) |
|
|
(1) E. Gwnech hast, a dewch nol
whaff
|
(East = the area east of the Rhymni river) |
|
|
(2) M. |
(Middle, = the area between the Rhymni
river and Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) |
|
|
(3) W. |
(West = the area west of Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr
/ Cwm Rhondda / Aber-dâr) |
|
|
(4) D. |
(Dyfed = south-west Wales) |
|
|
(5) P. |
(= “Cymraeg in its purity”, that is,
Standard Welsh) (chap = ??) |
The words clau and cloi are used throughout Morganwg, and they are known in all
Gwent, though not in use. The word brys is also known in both provinces, as is
buan, and the two are very frequently enployed, but not in such sentences as
the above. Example, - Brysiwch Tomos mai bron nos. Pryd dewch chwi’n
ol? Yn fuan, &c, (dewch
chwi would be rather dewch chi)
Example
9
|
|
|
(go to the house) |
|
|
(1) E. |
(East = the area east of the Rhymni river) (This would in fact
be “mynad”) |
|
|
(2) M. |
(Middle, = the area between the Rhymni
river and Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) (This would in fact be” mynad”) |
|
|
(3) W. |
(West = the area west of Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr
/ Cwm Rhondda / Aber-dâr) |
|
|
(4) D. |
(Dyfed = south-west Wales) |
|
|
(5) P. |
(= “Cymraeg in its purity”, that is,
Standard Welsh) |
..................
(delwedd 3987) (tudalen 248)
The excellent old
word idd is still found in Gwent;
and is in constant use in Gwentllwg, even in the discourse of the most
illiterate of the inhabitants. The words has of late been very generally
employed by Welsh writers; and wherever dd is wanted in a
symphonic arrangement by the bards, the word idd is placed in
the concatenation. I’w cannot be pluralised without being
reduced into its root; as i ei dad, plural i eu tad;
but idd is rendered into iddei in the
singular possessive, and into iddeu in the plural. (In fact, to his / to her / to its -
iddi - is the same as to their - iddi) The words mad (??) and odd (=
from) are
quite obsolete in Gwent and Morganwg.
Example
10
|
|
|
(mind your business) |
|
|
(1) E. |
(East = the area east of the Rhymni river) |
|
|
(2) M. |
(Middle, = the area between the Rhymni
river and Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) |
|
|
(3) W. |
(West = the area west of Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr
/ Cwm Rhondda / Aber-dâr) |
|
|
(4) D. |
(Dyfed = south-west Wales) |
|
|
(5) P. |
(= “Cymraeg in its purity”, that is,
Standard Welsh) |
An unusual corruption has crept into the above phrase throught Gwent and
Morganwg. The word business has ascended the throne, and it
would be difficult to meet with a person in all the country who can turn the
expression into Welsh. Mindwch eich bisnis. Gofalwch am eich achos,
neu eich galwad; cera a dos o bothdy dy fisnis; dos is
correct, but bothdy is only a corruption of o amgylch,
and o bob tu, &c.
It would be endless work to give instances of this corruption, for Menevia and
Morganwg have appropriated the word business as much as the
English.
Example
11
|
|
|
(What’s the bad taste that can I taste on
ths meat?) |
|
|
(1) E. |
(East = the area east of the Rhymni
river) (in fact, clywad would be the pronunciation) (literal
translation: what is the bad taste I am perceiving (also ‘hearing’) on the
meat here?) |
|
|
(2) M. |
(Middle, = the area between the Rhymni
river and Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) (in fact, clywad would be the
pronunciation) |
|
|
(3) W. |
(West = the area west of Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr
/ Cwm Rhondda / Aber-dâr) |
|
|
(4) D. |
(Dyfed = south-west Wales) |
|
|
(5) P. |
(= “Cymraeg in its purity”, that is,
Standard Welsh) |
Mynwy is extremely
fond of applying the word clywed to the sense of taste. If anything
omits a bad odour, the people of Gwent clywed (hear) it. If
any food or drink be agreeable to the palate, they say one to
(delwedd 3988) (tudalen 249)
another
they never clywed anything better, &c. This use of the
word reaches the central divison, but is never heard by the inhabitants of the
western part.
(A footnote
adds: “Clywed, decidely, is the word employed in Dyved. And this is quite
idiomatic; the word clywed being used for all the senses, except seeing, in
most of the Celtic dialects. - S.E.)
Example
12
|
|
|
(Siôn, how are you, how is Siân?) |
|
|
(1) E. Same very nearly |
(East = the area east of the Rhymni
river) (i.e. very nearly the same as the next example; in the original
text, the ‘east’ sentences come after the ‘middle’ sentences) |
|
|
(2) M. |
(Middle, = the area between the Rhymni
river and Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) |
|
|
(3) W. |
(West = the area west of Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr
/ Cwm Rhondda / Aber-dâr) (I’m fine (‘fairly all right’), or
bad) |
|
|
(4) D. |
(Dyfed = south-west Wales) (I’m fine, or
very sick) |
|
|
(5) P. |
(= “Cymraeg in its purity”, that is,
Standard Welsh) |
Here, again, there is a wide field to travers. In Gwent and the middle
division, if the person accosted enjoys tolerably good health, the answer will
be iawnda; if worse, it will be tost iawn, or brwnt
digynig.
Sâl and clâf are never heard in
Gwent and the central division, though the inhabitants understand the meaning
of the words pretty well. Neither is iawnda or iawndda to
be met with within the confines of Dyved, and very seldom in the western
division. Harty and n’ail ile (i.e. yn ail i le) is the
answer in Dyved and sometimes one hears shwt i chi? i chi’n dda
iawn (how are you? are you very well?) there also.
(A footnote adds: ‘Rwy’n weddol, or yn ganolig, or yn symol, is much more
common in Dyved. “Right harty, thanky” is the Venedotian phrase.-S.E.)
Iawnda,
tost iawn,
harty,
canolig,
sâl,
clâf, &c.
are employed, upon the whole, oftener in the western division than in Gwent and
Dyved. The word digynnyg (di-cyd-dyg) is a very rustic one
(A footnote adds: Digynnig - Not so rustic. The word is
heard every day in Dyved; and its meaning, as understood there, is not “void of
trial or attempt,” but incomparable, matchless or unequalled. “Merch lân
digynnyg” is, therefore, equivalent to a paragon of beauty. - (See Pughe’s
Dict. sub voce.) - S.E. )
its
meaning being void of
.....
(delwedd 3989) (tudalen
250)
trail
or attempt. In
the face of such meaning, what sense is there in merch lân ddigynnyg,
or clâf tost, or brwnt digynnyg?
Example
13
|
|
|
(There’s an election this year, and Edwards
is canvassing, and all the gentry are voting for him) |
|
|
(1) E. |
(East = the area east of the Rhymni river) |
|
|
(2) M. |
(Middle, = the area between the Rhymni
river and Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) |
|
|
(3) W. |
(West = the area west of Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr
/ Cwm Rhondda / Aber-dâr) |
|
|
(4) D. |
(Dyfed = south-west Wales) |
|
|
(5) P. |
(= “Cymraeg in its purity”, that is,
Standard Welsh) |
Great many phrases like these may be culled out of the conversation of the
people of Gwent and Morganwg, and it would be difficult to decide whether in
Gwent or Morganwg is the greatest corruption, and which of the two countries
has received most English words.
It is certain that in the sequestered agricultural districts a purer dialect is
spoken than in the vicinities of railroads and canals. There is less English
mixed with the Cymraeg of Gwentllwg than there is with that of the country
along the railway from Newport to Tredegar, and along the canal from the same
place to Fenni, &c.
In like manner may be contrasted the respective dialects of the people from
Llantrisant to Aberddawen, and the banks of the Tav from Cardiff to Merthyr, or
from Pen y bont ar Ogwr to Aberafon and the banks of Tawy.
There are often works and villages along railways and canals, whither resort
the Englishman, the Irishman and the Scot, who speak English, and mock the
language and manners of the Cymro.
They also come into the country with implements having each a name; and they
treat the Welshman with incivility for daring to speak his native tongue in his
presence. Then an attempt is made to talk English with the strangers; and as
the illiterate Cymro has no designations for one-half of the implements used in
the machinery, &c., the consequence is that Saxon names diversify the
Cymraeg throughout all the districts aforesaid; and, unless an English-Welsh
dictionary be soon published, which shall receive the approbation
(delwedd 3990) (tudalen
251)
of the literati of
the Cymru (sic), the English language must needs succeed
to the monarchical throne in all the works (= the industrialised valleys and
uplands of the south-east).
The moroseness of the Saxon, as well as his ambitions desires, are the same now
as they ever were; and insomuch as the generality of the Cymry have no names
for implements, &c., ready at hand, and observe that the English have them,
the same dispiritedness and dejection lay hold of them in respect of their
language, as what seized their ancestors in respect of their country, when
their third Llewelyn fell in the cantred of Buallt, A.D. 1290-2.
Example 14
|
|
(Twm, were you in the quarry today?
Yes-I-was, and I brought a good load from there) |
|
|
|
(1) E. |
(East = the area east of the Rhymni
river) (Seems to be a misprint for “gware”) |
|
|
(2) M. |
(Middle, = the area between the Rhymni river
and Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) |
|
|
(3) W. |
(West = the area west of Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr
/ Cwm Rhondda / Aber-dâr) |
|
|
(4) D. |
(Dyfed = south-west Wales) |
|
|
(5) P. Tomos, buaist ti yn y
gloddfa heddyw? |
(= “Cymraeg in its purity”, that is,
Standard Welsh) |
Example
15
|
|
|
(Have you finished sowing wheat? Yes, we
finished yesterday) |
|
|
(1) E. |
(East = the area east of the Rhymni river) |
|
|
(2) M. |
(Middle, = the area between the Rhymni
river and Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) |
|
|
(3) W. |
(West = the area west of Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr
/ Cwm Rhondda / Aber-dâr) |
|
|
(4) D. |
(Dyfed = south-west Wales) |
|
|
(5) P. |
(= “Cymraeg in its purity”, that is,
Standard Welsh) |
Example 16
|
|
|
(Have you gathered in harvest? Yes ) |
|
|
(1) E. |
(East = the area east of the Rhymni river) |
|
|
(2) M. |
(Middle, = the area between the Rhymni
river and Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) |
|
|
(3) W. |
(West = the area west of Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr
/ Cwm Rhondda / Aber-dâr) |
|
|
(4) D. |
(Dyfed = south-west Wales) |
|
|
(5) P. |
(= “Cymraeg in its purity”, that is,
Standard Welsh) |
...................
(delwedd 3991) (tudalen 252)
The
word cywain is found in Gwent in its corrupt form cwin,
but they never say there, Yr ydym wedi cywain, the word used
being cael; but on the day of the cael they
say, Yr im ni’n myned i gwin heddy.
Looking upon this field as a very diversified one, I d o not consider it
necessary to pursue the foregoing order any further, though I might do so so
long as memory holds out. In this place I shall arrange the words peculiar to
the three divisions, and those of Gwynedd, for the sake of variety, in parallel
columns: -
(NOTE: The
following table, and the comments made by ‘S.E.’, need to be treated with a
certain amount of scepticism!)
|
W. (West = the area west of
Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr / Cwm Rhondda / Aber-dâr) |
M. (Middle, = the area
between the Rhymni river and Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) |
E. (East = the area east of
the Rhymni river) |
Gwynedd |
|
|
|
|
|
|
âth |
ath, for aeth |
âth (= fright) |
arswyd (= fright) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
tacu |
tadcu |
tadcu |
taid (= grandfather) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
teulu |
teulu |
teulu |
tylwyth (= family) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
dodi |
dodi |
dodi |
rhoddi (= to give) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
mangu |
mangu |
mamgu |
nain (= grandmother) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
crotes, rhoces, and scenes |
crotis |
crotes |
same |
|
|
|
|
|
|
crwt
and rhocyn |
crwt |
crwt |
same |
|
|
|
|
|
|
smeityn |
smityn |
smityn |
hawg, yr hawg (= a while) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
lled
hynod |
lled
od |
lled
od |
go
hynod (= quite strange) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
gwrol |
gwrol |
gwrol |
glew (= brave) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
llawer
iaw (sic) |
llawer
iawn |
llaweriawl (sic) |
gryn
lawr (= very many) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
rhwydddeb (rhwydd-deb) |
rhwydeb |
rhwydeb |
ffyniant |
|
|
|
|
|
|
sythu |
sythu |
sythu |
fferi (= freeze, become very
cold) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
digrif |
dimofal |
dimwfal |
ysmala |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ffin |
perth
unberth |
perth
ymberth |
gwahanglawdd |
|
|
|
|
|
|
llyn
pysgod, fishpond |
pysgodlyn |
pysgodlyn |
pysgodlyn |
|
|
|
|
|
|
coff
hau |
coff
ha’ |
coff
ha’ |
coff
hau, crybwyll |
|
|
|
|
|
|
bara
càn, Gwenith (= bara gwenith) |
bara
càn |
bara
càn |
bara gwyn (Footnote: Bara peillied
the people of Gwynedd call wheat bread.-S.E.) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
brâs,
tew |
brâs |
brâs |
tew |
|
pen
draw |
pen
hwnt |
pen
hwnt |
pen
draw |
|
ffolcyn |
inislinit |
inislinit |
ffolddyn |
|
|
|
|
|
|
trysau |
tyrfau,
trysau |
tyrfau,
trysau |
taranau (= thunderclaps) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
lleched |
llechid |
llechid |
llâch,
mellt (= lightning flashes) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
treised |
trisad |
trisad |
aber (Footnote: Anner is the Dimetian
word; heffer the Venedotian.-S.E.) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
teliaidd |
teliaidd |
teliaidd |
taclusaidd |
.....
(delwedd 3992) (tudalen
253)
|
|
|
|
|
|
teisen
freu |
tisen froi (in fact, this would be
tishan froi) |
tisen froi (in fact, this would be
tishan froi) |
teisen
frau, anaml (= infrequent) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
tyle |
tyle (in fact, this would be
tyla) |
tyle (in fact, this would be
tyla) |
rhiw (Footnote: Rhiw in Dyved,
and gallt in Gwynedd.-S.E.) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ca’ |
ca’ |
ca’ |
cae,
a field |
|
|
|
|
|
|
pound (= pownd),
pwys |
pound (= pownd) |
pound (= pownd) |
pwys |
|
|
|
|
|
|
cariter |
caritor |
caritor |
caritor |
|
|
|
|
|
|
winch |
pydew |
pydew |
pydew |
|
|
|
|
|
|
cowrw |
cywrw |
cywrw |
cyfrwy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
diod |
cwrw |
cwrw |
diod rhiw ( Footnote: In Gwynedd, diod
is applied to any drink; cwrw to ale, or beer..-S.E.) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
haidd,
barlys |
haidd |
haidd |
haidd |
|
|
|
|
|
|
bachgen |
bachgan |
bachgan |
bachgenyn |
|
|
|
|
|
|
tón,
gwndwn |
tòn |
tón (sic) |
gwyndon (Footnote: More commonly
tyndir.-S.E.) |
.....
(delwedd
J6262)
The
Cambrian Journal, Volume 4, 1857, 36-38
(delwedd 3993) (tudalen
36)
A TREATISE ON THE CHIEF PECULIARITIES THAT DISTINGUISH THE CYMRAEG, AS
SPOKEN BY THE INHABITANTS OF GWENT AND MORGANWG RESPECTIVELY.
BY PERERINDODWR
(Continued
from Vol. III, page 253)
PECULIAR
PHRASEOLOGIES
Menevia and Morganwg vary particularly in their mode of designating persons. In
the middle and eastern divisions it is very seldom that an individual is called
by his proper name, but they begin with one man, and join to him his immediate
ancestors as far as the fifth degree; thus Twm Shôn, Harri Twm Shôn,
Wil Harri Twm Shôn, Dai Wil Harri Twm Shôn, and Rhys Dai Wil
Harri Twm Shôn.
The names of the women are regulated in exactly the same way. This usage causes
a great confusion in the names of individuals.
Not unfrequently are persons found in Gwentllwg with only two names; but for
the most part this is an interruption of the appellative lineage. Again, may be
seen two brothers by the same parents, who call themselves by different names.
For instance, if the above Rhys had a brother of the name
of Harri, the latter, perhaps, would be called Harri Rhys,
whilst Rhys would style himself Rhys Harri,
supposing that Wil Harri was his grandfather. (Thai is, the father is called Rhys and
the grandfather is Harri: one son - Harri - adds his father’s name and is Harri
Rhys; the other son - Rhys - adds his grandfather’s and is Rhys Harri)
Thus the mode of
naming the people is subject to the greatest disorder; and since the parish
registers are full of this confusion, the state of genealogy in Gwent is
extremely critical. It must be borne in mind that this usage is hardly
perceptible on the western side of the river Tâf, in Morganwg.
There is, also, throught Gwent and Morganwg, a peculiar mode of distinguishing
the condition of persons in regard to their marriage, or widowhood. When a
female is seen at hand, it is asked,
“Pwy yw y ferch-neu-wraig eco (accw)?” and,
“Pwy yw y gwr-neu-was eco?”
(delwedd 3994) (tudalen 37)
And
when there is a desire to accost, or call the attention of some stranger, it is
said,
“Hei! y y gwr-neu-was,” and
“Hei! y ferch-neu-wraig.”
This distinction is very fair, for a female cannot be other than a merch, or gwraig;
nor can a male be other than a gwr, or gwas; i.e., a
man in a servile condition, since he is not in the state of wedlock as a
husband.
(Gwas does not
necessarily mean a servant; but it was formerly, and it is still partly, used
as a general term for a young man, without any reference to his wordly
position. In the Mabinogion young noblemen are frequently called gweision.
Compare, also, the opening line of the Gododin (sic), - “Gredyf gwr oed gwas.· - S.E.)
Widowhood does not
change the man, nor the woman, into gwas, or merch, according to the
conventional usage of the country. It is right to remember, likewise, that it
is customary throughout Gwent and Morganwg to call peasants and poor children
by what are termed nick-names; thus, Twm, Shôn, Dai, Mocyn, Harri, Wil, Ned,
Palws, Sal, Magws, &c. are made to stand for Thomas, John, David, Henry,
William, Edward, Mary, Sarah, Margaret, &c.
The inhabitants of Gwent and Morganwg have divers modes of giving names to
houses and places, as ty Twm Shôn, ty Bet o’r Cwm, &c. The manner of
calling a place according to its geogrqphical position prevails very
extensively in this country, as Penlan, Pen y pîl, Penhil, Glan rumi, Nantarw,
&c; whilst Dimetia confers a name upon every hut, thus, Treaser,
Trebwrnallt, Treganhaethw, Trewein, Tregadwgan, Trelodan, Treglemais, Treleter,
Treteio, Trewallter, Tredduog, Trefin, Trebufired, Trearched, Tregwynt,
Tremichol, &c., &c.
There is a great difference between the dialects of Menevia and Morganwg.
Throughout the middle and eastern districts the vowel i has almost its full
sound in hundreds of words, as shall be noticed hereafter. Towards the Saxon
border, a certain strangeness dwells on the faces of the men, somewhat similar
to the gloomy appearance that ensues when the sun is hidden by a cloud previous
to its setting in the west.
From Ergyng to Talgoed (Caldicot) one meets with heavy, lanky, and
.....
(delwedd 3995) (tudalen
38)
very ignorant men;
and the old people that are there, especially towards Tre’r Esgob (in modern Welsh Trefesgob, in
English Bishton, 5 miles / 8 kilometres east of Casnewydd / Newport), speak Welsh, which is unintelligible to
the uni-lingual Cymro. They have so much the English accent, and occasionally
an old word like ebargofi , that they cause a mixture of grief
and astonishment in the bosom of the visitor.
When he proceeds from Crughywel to Coed y Cymmer, he hears clearly the accent
and pronunciation of the Brecknockian; ar yr un (? = ), lad (gwlad = contry) raig (gwraig = woman, wife) ferch y forwn ( ?y ferch y forwyn = the miad), &c, present themselves there very
distinctly.
When we go from Coed y Cymmer through Cwmamman to Pont ar Ddulas, we hear the
pronunciation of the Brecknockian, and that of the boys of Caermarthen. Here
the speech becomes vigorous, and the voice thin, and yn wirionedd fach
anwyl i (=
dear me!), thinci
fawr (=
thank you very much) come
to light; and in returning, a change will be perceived towards Margam, and a
little after towards Pont Faen.
Then the body of the country is reached, and the tone becomes slow and grave,
the tongue lisps a little, and the voice is thick. Abertawy, Merthyr, and all
the works (=
the uplands where the iron works were situated), Cardiff and Newport, are
like Van Dieman’s Land. They contain people from every
country (i.e.
all over Wales), and accordingly
one meets in them with the dialects and accents that distinguish every portion
of the inhabitants of the Principality.
.....
Cambrian Journal, Volume 4, Year 1857, pages 207-210
(delwedd 3996) (tudalen
207)
A TREATISE ON THE CHIEF PECULIARITIES THAT DISTINGUISH THE CYMRAEG, AS
SPOKEN BY THE INHABITANTS OF GWENT AND MORGANWG RESPECTIVELY,
BY PERERINDODWR
(Continued
from page 38)
GRAMMATICAL
PECULIARITIES
I will begin with the letters. A is uttered throughout Gwent
to rapidly - too much like ha. B is articulated properly
throughout both provinces; likewise C, Ch, D, Dd. Too much of
the sound H is impatred to E, F, Ff, G, Ng are
pronounced tolerably well; but as for H, it has to answer several purposes. It
is most frequently heard where it stands as an aspirate; but
throughoutthe county of Monmouth it is irregular in hanfon,
haraf, hadref, &c. About half the sound of I is
perceptibly used throughout the middle and eastern divisions in numbers of
words, as
rhiad for rhad (= grace, blessing); so in the following,
Gwiliad (gwyliad
= watch),
Tiad (tad
= father),
Niage (nage
= no),
Rhiaff (rhaff
= rope),
Hiaff (? =
),
Cielwydd (celwydd
= celwydd),
Ciader (cadair
= chair),
Miab (mab
= son),
Biad (bad
= boat),
Griâs (grâs
= grace),
Gwias (gwas
= farm servant),
Miaes (maes
= field),
Cias (cas
= he / she got),
Cieffyl (ceffyl
= horse), &c.
I could not detect any such pronunciation from Penbont ar Ogwr to Pont ar
Ddulas.
L is sounded correctly.
From about Penmarc and Llanddunod to Gwentllwg, Ll is changed,
in respect of sound, to Th, as in arall, which is
pronounced arath.
M,N,O,P,Ph,R,S,T,Th,U,W,Y, are sounded properly, except the last
three.
The aspirate H is frequently associated with W,
as whern for wern, &c.
The O is not quite free from this peculiarity.
The U is generally uttered quite at variance with its proper
pronunciation; indded, it is not often that we can call the sounds of this
vowel singly by their right names, much less its sounds in composition.
Such is the matter in which the Welsh alphabet is vocalised throughout Gwent
and Morgannwg.
ACCENTUATION.-The accents, ascending, descending,
.....
(delwedd 3997) (tudalen 208)
and circumflex, are
as many in both provinces as might be naturally required.
The ascending accent is found in such words as
cymmanfa (=
meeting, association),
diotta (=
drink alcohol),
&c.
the descending in
dilëu (= do
away with);
and the circumflex in
parhâd (=
continuation).
Nature has also taught the inhabitants the proper use of the grave and light
sounds, such as
glàn môr (=
sea side),
glân iawn (=
very pretty);
tòn (=
wave; pastureland) and
tôn (=
tune),
&c.
In like manner, they have learned the mutation of initial consonants, as Bara,
fy mara, ei bara, ei fara (=
bread, my bread, her bread, his bread), &c. All this prevails through both provinces.
NOUN AND ITS NUMBER.- Substantives are pronounced pretty much
alike through all the districts, with the exception of a very slight provincial
drawl.
Angel (=
angel),
gwynt (=
wind),
Tâf (=
river name),
Ffrainc (=
France),
Jerusalem,
dyn (=
man),
coed (=
wood),
mynydd (=
upland), &c.
have all the common and correct articulation. In respect of the singular number
all the provinces are equal, but in reference to the plural, Gwent loses
ground; thus dyn, dynon; offeriad, offerid. Gwent is tolerably well
in brawd, brodyr, bardd, beirdd, &c.
The termination ion is uttered properly in the western
division; the termination au is pronounced wrongly in the eastern division,
where it has the sound like eu, as angeu, dyddieu. The termination od is the
same through both provinces.
The inhabitants say o’n for oen: and in the plural
ŵyn, which is used alike in all divisions.
The plurals of
bran (=
crow),
march (=
stallion),
llestr (=
dish),
collen (=
hazel tree),
plentyn (=
child),
namely brain, meirch, llestri, cyll, plant, are by them pronounced
correctly; but they fail in
merchid ed,
hidden (=
heidden, barleycorn) he,
llysodd oedd,
trad aed,
(what is meant
here it that colloquially merched > merchid, heidden > hidden, llysoedd
> llysodd, traed > tra’d),
the plurals of
merch (=
girl),
haidd (=
barley; barley plants) (in fact the singulative of this word),
llys (=
court),
troed (=
foot)
GENDER OF NOUN.- The masculine and feminine genders are tolerably
consistent with the general rules; but the unknown class is
very irregular. Very often they commit sad mistakes in the gender, and vary
widely from what the grammars teach. Asyn is asen,
and mwlsyn is asyn, always through all the
divisions.
It is not often that they use the word hwrdd, because they
have minharan instead, whilst dafad is used
for the feminine.
The
(delwedd 3998) (tudalen 209)
es is employed pretty correctly, as brenin, brenhines. I
do not remember meeting with a conjunction of name and gender, except in
matters pertaining to the dairy, as hafodwraig and hafodferch.
Many hafottai may be seen throughout Gwent and Morgannwg.
ADJECTIVE.- Under this head the word peth frequently
occurs, as peth drwg, peth mawr, peth gwan, &c.,
throughout both districts. Their mode af rendering an adjective plural is
similar to that which refers to substantives,
llas e,
llison ei ion,
main, minon ei io,
noth, noethion, noithon ei io,
trwm, trymon, trwmon ym io,
bychan, bychin ai,
gwan, gwinid ei ai, &c.
COMPARATIVE DEGREES.- This class is also much in accordance with
nature, and there is considerable accuracy in the arrangement of comparison
throughout the country. Tha positive, comparative and superlative degrees are
found to be tolerably regular, as byr, byrach, byraf; tal, talach,
talaf. They use some that are derived from the comparative, and not
from the positive; as agos, nes, nesaf; the comparitive neasach is
sometimes found in this degree. Again, bach, llai, lleiaf (lliaf).
We have also cyn laned, lled dda, mwy mawr, mwyaf. I know not how
the difference, being so little, between the usages of both provinces on this
head can possibly be described.
PRONOUN.- Through Gwent and Morgannwg no first person
singular other than mi,fi, y, I, is used; and ninau,
which in the plural is pronouced ninâ, and in the singular (!) ni, which is all that is heard in the
several divisions:
In the second person singular we have ti and tithâ, chi and chithâ.
Nyninau and chwychwithau are never heard in the
colloquial converstaion of the people.
The third person singular is efe, ef, hi, fe; seldom or never is
heard anything but nhw in the plural.
In the possessive class the custom is to have fy for the first
person singular, and ein in the plural.
In the second person singular they use dy, ‘th and eith; in
the plural, eich, ‘ch (ych), and eiddoch.
In the third
person singular they use ei and eiddo; in the
plural eu, and sometimes eiddont.
Through
-----
(delwedd 3999) (tudalen 210)
the
region of Morganwg the word hun is very frequently used, as fy hun;
but, in the region of Monmouth, m’ihinan is the most usual
form; also hunein instead of hunain.
The Demonstrative Pronouns, which are generally used, are the
following: -
Singular, hon, hwn, hyn; plural, y rhai’n, y
rhai yma.
Hwn yma, hon yma, &c. are never heard in the country, but hwna, hona and rhai
yna, are very frequently used.
Instead of hwnacw and honacw, the people say hwnco and honco.
Hw`nw, hòno and y rhai hyny are in proper use with
them.
The Relative Pronouns that are used in both countries
are yr hwn, yr hon, yr hyn, y rhai, y neb, y naill, y llall, y sawl, y
rhai hyn, y rhai hyny, &c.
The Interrogative Pronouns are pwy, pa un, pa rai, pa
beth, beth, &c.
They use the Indefinite Pronouns thus, arath (arall); nall (llall), naill,
pon, rhai, rhwyn (rhywun) rhwrai (rhywrai), llill (lleill), un.
neb, erill (eraill), oll, pawb, &c. These are
used colloquially throughout the country, but an occasional bard is found who
uses pronouns more in accordance with grammar; the same may be said of some of
the readers of Welsh periodicals, and acute men who are in the habit of listening
to some religious minister, famed for the correctedness of his style.
Nevertheless, particular occasions like these will not alter the manners of the
thousands who talk in the vulgar style, following the dialect and custom of the
country, without making an effort to correct themselves.
(to be continued)
(Mae’n debyg na
chwblheuwyd mo’r gyfres yn y diwedd. O leiaf, nid wyf wedi dod ar draws y rhan
olynol yn rhifynnau nesa’r cylchgrawn.)
(But it seems
that in fact it never was! I have found no follow-up in further issues of The
Cambrian Journal).
_________
Sumbolau arbennig: ŷ ŵ
Adolygiadau diweddaraf: latest updates:
Sumbolau: ā ǣ ē ī ō
ū / ˡ ɑ æ ɛ ɪ ɔ ʊ ə ɑˑ eˑ
iˑ oˑ uˑ ɑː æː eː iː oː uː /
ɥ / ð ɬ ŋ ʃ ʧ θ ʒ ʤ / aɪ ɔɪ
əɪ ɪʊ aʊ ɛʊ əʊ /
ә
ʌ ŵ ŷ ẃ ŵŷ ẃỳ ă ĕ ĭ ŏ ŭ ẁ ẃ
ẅ Ẁ £
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