¶The Pronunciation of the the lettters in the Brytyshe tonge.
THE letters in the Britishe or Walshe tonge, haue the same fygure & fashion as they haue in Englysh, and be in numbre as here vnderneth in the Alphabet appeareth.
A b c ch d dd e f ff g h i k l ll m n o p r s t th v u w y.
These be the vowels. a e i o u w y.
These two vowels a, w, be mutable.
The dipthonges be these, and be pronoūced after the very Greke pronunciation.As euaggel of euā geliou.
- Ae ai au aw ay
- ei ew
- ia ie io iw
- oe ow oy
- uw
- wy.
These letters be called consonauntes. b c ch d dd f ff g k l ll m n o p r s t th v.
The pronunciation of A.
A In Britishe or Walshe in euery worde hath the true pronunciation of A in latine. And it is neuer sounded like the diphthonge au, as the Frenche men sound it commynge before [Page] m. or .n. in their tonge, nor so fully in the mouth as the Germaines sounde it in this worde Magen: Neyther yet as it is pronounced in Englishe, whan it commeth before ge, ll. sh. tch: For in these wordes and suche other in englyshe, Domage, heritage, language, ashe, lashe, watch, calme, call (a) is thought to decline towarde the sounde of these dipthonges ai, au, and the wordes to be reade in thys wise, domaige, heritaige, languaige, aishe, waitche, caul, caulme. But as I said before, a. in walsh hath alwaies but one sound what so euer letter it folowe or go before, as in these wordes ap, cap. whyche haue the same pronunciation & signification in both the tonges.
Muche lesse hathe a, suche varietie in Walshe, as hath Aleph in Hebrue (which alone ye points altered) hath the sounde of euery vowell. Howbeit that composition, deriuation, and the plurell numbre, do ofte times in the commune walshe speache chaunge a, for e. as in these wordes, vnweith, seithfed, ebestyl. Neuertheles e. then succeadeth, and is also written in the stede of a. so that the Reader shall neuer be troubled therewyth.
The sounde of B.
B, In Walshe is vniuersallye reade and pronounced as it is in Englyshe. Albeit whan a word begynneth wyth b, and is ioyned wt moe wordes cōmyng in a reason, the phrase and the maner of the Walshe speache (muche lyke after the Hebrues idiome) shall alter the sounde of that b.So do these walshe wordes, cuuit, cuuicul, vicses whych be deriued of cubitꝰ, cubiculū, bisextus, into the sounde of the Hebrue letter that they call [Page] Beth not daggessed, or of the Greke Veta, eyther els of v. beynge consonant in latine or Englysh, as thus. Where as b. in thys walshe worde bys a fynger, is the primitiue (or if I shold borow the Hebrue terme) the radicall letter, whyche commynge in the contexte of a reason shall not than be called b. but v. as in this texte: I vys: his finger. And sometime b. shal be turned into m, as for an ensample. vy mys: my fynger. And yet for all the alteration of this letter b, and of diuerse other (as ye shall perceiue hereafter) whyche by their nature be chaungeable one for an other, it shal nothynge let nor hynder anye man, from the true and propre readinge of the letters so altered.
For as sone as the ydiome or proprietie of the tong receyueth one letter for an other, the radicall is omitted and left away: and the accessorie or the letter that commeth in stede of the radicall, is forthwyth wrytten and so pronounced after his owne nature & power as it is playne inoughe, by the former exemple.
Prouided alwayes that such trāsmutation of letters in speakinge (for therin consisteth all the difficultie) is mooste diligentlye to be marked, obserued,☜ and taken hede vnto, of him that shall delite to speake walshe aryghte.
Howe C is pronounced.
C, Maketh K. for loke what power hath c.As witnesseth cicut deducted of cicut [...], natali [...] of natalitis. accen of accentus discipul of discipulus, cist of cista. in Englishe or in Latine, whan it commeth before a. o. u. that same shall it haue in walshe before anye vowel, dypthonge, or consonant what so euer it be.
Howe be it some of our time do vse to wryte .k. rather than, c. where wryters in tymes paste haue lefte c. wrytten in their auncient bokes, specially before .a. o. u. and before all maner consonantes, and in the later ende of wordes. Also othersome ther be, that soūd nowe .c. as .g. in the laste termination of a worde: An exemple: oc, koc, lloc: whiche be moste communely redde, og, kog, llog.
Furthermore it is the nature of c. to be turned into ch,Construccion is taken here for ye ioyning togither of words otherwyse called a reason. Carw is the absolute word and other whyles into, g. But I meane this, whā a worde that begynneh wyth .c. cometh in construction as thus: Carw, a harte, Ewic a charw, a hind and a harte. Either els whan .c. or .k. (for they be boeth one in effecte) is the fyrste letter of a worde that shall be compounded, as for an example: Angraff, angred, angrist, whyche be compounded of an, and of kraff, kred, krist.
The sounde of ch.
Ch, doeth whollye agree wyth the pronunciation of ch, also in the Germayne tonge, of the Greke Chy, or the Hebrue Cheth. or of gh, in Englyshe:
And it hath no affinitie at al wyth ch, in Englyshe, excepte in these wordes, Mychael, Mychaelmas, and a fewe suche other. Ch also whan it is the radical letter in anye Walshe worde, remayneth immutable in euery place.
The sounde of D.
D, Is redde in Walshe none otherwyse than in Englishe, sauynge onely that oftentimes d, in the firste sillables shall be turned into dd, resemblynge muche Daleth the Hebrue d. And sometyme whan a worde begynning wyth d, is compounded wyth (an) the d, shall slyp awaye, as anawn, of an, and dawne: anoeth, of an and doeth.
Dd is nothyng lyke of pronunciation to dd. in englysh or latin: For ye double dd. in Walsh hath ye very soūde of dhelta, or dhaleth, dashed wt raphe, or of d. betwixt .ii. vowels in the Hispanish tong, either els of th. as they be communelye sounded in these englyshe wordes, the, that, thys, thyne: Neyther do I meane nothynge lesse than that dd. in Walshe be sounded at anye tyme after the sounde of th. in these wordes of Englyshe, wyth thynne, thanke. But ye shall fynde in olde wrytten Englyshe bokes, a letter hauyng the figure of a Romayne y. that youre auncesters called dhorn, whych was of one efficacie wyth ye walsh dd. And there be nowe in some contryes in England that pronounce dd. euen in these wordesAn instrument of a Couper. addes, fedder, accordinge as they be pronounced in the walshe.
And ye muste note that dd. in walsh is not called double dd. neyther is it a double letter (though it semeth so to be) wherfore it doeth not fortifie nor harden the sillable that it is in, but causeth it to be a great deale more thycke, softe, & smothe. For he that firste added to the seconde d. mente thereby to aspirate the d. and signifie that it shold be more lightly sounded, and not the contrary.
But I thynke it had be easier, more mete, and lesse [Page] straunge to the Reader, if that he hadde put h. after the former d, in a signe of asperation, than to adde an other d, therto.
And as it semeth it is not passynge thre or foure, C. yeres ago, synce they began to double their d, for before that tyme by lykelihode they vsed one constante maner of pronunciation of their letters, euen as the Hebrues did at the begynnynge.
Howe E ought to be sounded
E, Without anye exception hath one perman [...]nt pronunciation in Walsh, and that is the selfe pronunciation of Epsylon in Greke, or of e, in the latine beynge sounded aryghte, or e. in English, as it is sounded in these wordes, a were wreke, breke, wreste.
And the learner muste take good hede, that he neuer do reade the sayd e, as it is read in these Englysh wordes, we, beleue: For than by so doynge, shall he either alter the signification of the worde wherin the same e, is so corruptelye reade, eyther els cause it to betoken nothynge at all in that speache. Example: pe, signifieth in Englysh and, if: now, if ye read it pi. than wyll it betoken thys letter p. or the byrde that ye call in englyshe a Pye. And so gwe is, a webbe: but if ye sounde e. as i. readinge it gwi: than hath it no signification in the Walshe.
And leaste peraduenture the forsayde example of the walshe or straunge tonge be somewhat obscure, than take thys in your owne mother tonge for an explanation of that other: wherbi ye shal perceyue that [Page] the diuersitie of pronunciation of e, in these Englyshe wordes subscribed hereafter, wyll also make them to haue diuerse significations, and they be these wordes, bere, pere, hele mele. Neyther yet do we vse in Walshe at anye tyme to wryte e, in the middle or last sillables and to leaue it vnspoken in readynge: as it is done by Scheua in hebrue, or as the maner of wrytyng and readynge of the same, is accustomed in englyshe, as it shall be more manifeste by these wordes that folowe: golde, sylke, purenes, Chepesyde: wherein (as I suppose) e. is not written to the entent it myght be reade or spoken, but to mollifye the sillable that it is put in.
But nowe I am occasioned to declyne and straye somewhat frome my purpose,An obseruation for wrytinge of english whiche in printynge can not so well be kepte. and to reueale my fantasie to yonge wryters of Englyshe, whoe (me thynketh) take ouer muche paynes, and bestowe vnrequisite coste (hauynge no respecte to the nature of the englyshe endinge e.) in doublynge letters to harden the sillable, and immediatlye they adde an, e (whyche is a signe of mittigatynge and softenynge of the sillable) after ye letters so doubled, as thus: manne, worshippe Godde, wotte, wyshe, goodnesse, hemme nette: whiche wordes wyth suche other like, myght wyth lesse laboure, and as well for the purpose, be written on thys wyse: mān, worshypp, Godd, wott, wysh, goodness, hemm, nett: or rather this: man, worshyp, God, wot, wysh, goodnes, hem net.
For accordynge to the commen prouerbe, it is but foly to bestowe more, where lesse wyll serue.
Howe F is communely sounded.
F In Walshe and V beyng consonant in walsh englyshe, or latine, be so nyghe of sounde that they vse moste communely to write in walshe indifferentlye the one for the other. And I my selfe haue hearde Englyshe men in some contryes of Englaude sounde f. euen as we sounde it in Walshe for I haue marked their maner of pronūciation and speciallye in soundyng these wordes: voure, viue, disvigure, vishe: where they woulde saye, foure, fiue, disfigure, fyshe. &c.
But who so euer knoweth the sounde of the letter called Digamma (whose figure is muche lyke F. but ouerwhelmed vpsydedowne, as ye see here F) he shal also knowe thereby the verye sounde of the syngle f.Eolicū. F in Walshe.
The sounde of ff.
ff In Walshe hath but the same sound that the single f. hath in englyshe. And they are fayne to vse the double ff. for the single f. bicause they haue abused f. in stede of v. a consonante. But in suche wordes as haue p. for the first letter of their original (for to kepe the ortographie) they write ph. and not ff. as thus. Petr a Phawl, Peter and Paule.
The pronunciation of G.
G In euery worde in Walshe soundeth as the Hebrue Gymel: or g. in Doutche, or as g. in Englishe soundeth before a o u. And marcke well that g. neuer soundeth in Walshe as it [Page] doeth in englishe in these wordes, George, gynger.G, is but verye seldon turned into ch. Gwedy Gwad. Glas
G, also in walshe sometyme (whan it cometh in a reason) shall be turned into ch, and sometyme elided or lefte cleane out of the word as thus: a chwedy hynny. iawn ne wad: koch ne las: and not koch ne glas.
And otherwhile wordes compounded shall put awaye g, as these do, serloyw, dulas: whose symple be these: ser, gloyw: du glas.
Of the aspiration H.
H, In euerye worde that it is wrytten in, in Walshe, hathe hys aspiration in speakinge also, and is reade, euen as in these wordes of Englishe, hard, heard, hart, hurt: And therfore where so euer h, is wrytten in walshe, lette it be reade wyth all, and not holden styll, as it is done in Frenche and Englyshe in suche wordes as be deriued oute of latine as these, honest, habitation, humble habite. &c. Except whan h, is settled betwene two vowels in walshe wordes: for than it forceth not greatlye whether h, be sounded or not, as in these words that folowe: brenhin, kyhyr, mehein, gweheu, heheu, gwehydd, gohir. &c.
The sounde of I.
I, In Walshe hath the mere pronunciation of i, in latine, as learned men in our tyme vse to soūde it, & not as they yt wt their corrupt pronūciation make a dipthong of it, saying: veidei, teibei, for vidi, tibi. But loke howe i, soundeth in [Page] Englyshe in these wordes: singing, ringing, drinking, winkinge, nighe, sighe, might, right.
So thēi, in euery syllabe in walsh hath euē ye same sounde as e, hath in Englysh in these woordes: we, se three, bee. And i, is neuer sounded so broade in walshe as it is in this English wordEgo I. And beside that i, is neuer consonant in walsh, but euer remaining a vowell, as it doeth in the Germayne tong, or as iota in the Greke. And bicause they that haue not tasted of the preceptes of Grāmer do not lightly vnderstand what thys terme consonant meaneth: I wyll speake herein as playne as I can, for to induce them to vnderstand my meanynge.
Whan i, is consonant.Therfore whan we saye in spellynge m, a, ma: i, e, ie, st, e, ste, maieste: (or) I, e, Ie, s, u, s, sus, Iesus: nowe in these two wordes, maieste and Iesus: i, is consonant.Whan i, is a vowell. But whan I spel on thys wyse: i, per se, i, o-rk, ork, and wyth doynge them togyther, read iork: than i, is not called consonant, but hath the name of a vowell.
And therefore if ye liste to reade ryghtlye Walshe wordes in whom i, is wrytten, an other vowell immediately folowyng (for therin els is there no hynderaunce for the straūge reader) than must you harken (howe i,I for Y. I in thys word iye, (oculus) is now cō munelye written & read as it is in walshe. which, I wryte for y) is sounded in these englishe wordes: i-ane, i-arde, i-arne, ielde, i▪elk, i-elle, ielow, iere, iok, iong, iougth, Iorke, iou: And though these wordes be written here now wyth i, in the first letter of euery one, yet it is ment that you should read them as the i, were y, and as they had be wrytten on on thys fashyon: yane, yarde, yelde, yelke, yell, yelow, [Page] yere, yok, yong, yougth yorke, you.
Nowe I truste that the dullest wytted chyld that neuer reade but two lynes, perceaueth so familiar a rudimente.
The sounde of K.
K, Foloweth the rule of c, in euerye poynte, and therefore loke for the effecte of k, where it is treated of the letter c.
The sounde of L.
L, Hath none other differēce in sound in walsh than in Englysh. And note that it nether causeth a, nor o, whan they come before it, to sounde anye more fullier in the mouthe, than they do els sounde, commyng before any other letter. And for the playner vnderstandynge thereof, loke in the rules that entreate of the sounde of a, and o.
And marcke whan soeuer ye se l, to be the fyrste letter of a worde, that eyther the same worde cometh in construction, eyther els the worde is of an other language, and but vsurped in walshe.
Of the straunge sounde of double .ll.
Ll, can not be declared anye thynge lyke to the purpose in wrytynge, but onely by mouth: if ye than wil learne howe it ought to be sounded: For (as it is said before of d) so the second l, is added in stede of h: but loke howe Lambda comming before Iota is sounded in the Greke: euē so pronounce well, in the walsh. And if ye coulde hit kindely on the right and iuste pronunciation of lh, thus aspirated: not leauyng vnsounded the entier efficacitie and the whole strength of the aspiration: than shoulde not you be farre dissonant frō the true sounde of our walshe ll.
For the Walsh l, is spoken the tonge bowed vp a lyttle to the roufe of the mouth, and wyth that somewhat extendinge it selfe betwexte the fore teathe, the lyppes not all touchynge togyther (but leauyng opē as it were for a wyndowe) the ryghte wyke of the mouthe for to breathe oute wyth a thycke aspirated spirite the same ll. But as I sayde before, and if ye wyl haue the verye walshe sounde of thys letter: geue eare to a walshman whan he speaketh culltell, which betokeneth a knyfe in Englishe: or ellyll a goste:
The Walsh man or the Hispanyard compose their mouthes muche after one fashion whā they pronoūce their ll, sauynge that the walsheman vttereth it wyth a more thicker and a more mightier spirite.
The sounde of M.
M, In Walsh hath such a sounde as ye heare it haue in English or latine: but yet it is one of the letters yt be chaungeable in constructiō as thus: mwy, moo: llai ne vwy, lesse or [Page] more, mwyvwy, more (and) more.
The sounde of N.
N, Is none otherwise sounded in Walsh than in Englishe: but sometyme (after the latyne maner) whan it commeth before b, or p, in composition, it is thā turned into m, as ymblaen, whiche is compounded of yn and blaen: amparch, of an and parch, amp wyll, of an and pwyll.
The sounde of O.
O, In Walshe is sounded accordynge to the ryght soundynge of it in latine: eyther els as the sounde of o, is in these Englishe wordes: a doo, a roo, a too: and o, neuer soundeth in Walshe as it doeth in these wordes of Englishe: to do, two. But marke that o, in Walshe goynge before l, ll, soundeth nothynge more boystouse, that is to saye, that it inclineth to the sounde of the dipthonge ou (as it doeth in Englyshe) no more than if it hadde gone be fore anye other letter.
The sounde of P.
P, In Walshe differeth not from the Englysh sounde of p: but p commyng in construction foloweth ye rules of the Hebrue phe: saue somtime it is turned into b, as thus: pedwar bump, for pump. And sometyme p, in composition is chaunged also into b, as whā we say ymbell for [Page] ympell. And one whyle it is left out of the compound wordes: as whan these wordes: kymell, kymorth, be written for kympell, kymporth.
And an other whyle our tonge geueth vs to sound it, as it were an h, as whan we saye: ymhle, ymhlwy, ymhlas, for ymple, ymplwy, ymplas.
The sounde of Q.
Q, Is not receiued among the numbre of the letters in walshe as yet, but k supplyeth his rowme, & vsurpeth his office in euery place. And ye Greks are fayne to practice the same feacte, as ye may se it done. Luc. ii. where Kyriniou, is wryten for Quirino.
The sounde of R.
R, Is sounded alike in Walshe and Englyshe, but r, in walshe for the mooste parte is pronounced wyth aspiration, especiallye beynge the fyrste letter of the worde. And for the aspiration h, they cōmunely put to an other r, as they playe by d, and l, euen thus: rrwygwyd, rrodres, rringill, Rufain: But the maner of some is to write one greate captall R, (whan it is the firste letter of a word) for the lesser double rr. Also r, serueth the turn that n, doeth in Englishe, that is to wytte, to be putte betwene vowels metynge togyther in two sondrye wordes, for to stoppe the vncomely gapyng in speach as ye shall perceyue by these wordes: y-r awr: a-n houre.
The sounde of .S.
S, Soundeth in Walshe as it doeth in latine: neyther hathe it two diuers soundes as it hath in Englyshe or French, for when it cometh betwene two vowels in these two languages, it is so remissely and lithly soūded as it were a z, as by these two wordes of boeth the tonges it is manifestly proued. Faisant a Fesant.
The sounde of T.
T, Lykewyse hath but one sounde, and that is as the latines sounde it in these wordes: atat tute, tegit: Neyther do I meane that t, in Walshe is sounded at anye tyme like th, as some barbarous lispers do, who depraue the true latine pronunciation, readynge Amath, for amat, dederith for dederit. &c.
Howbeit marke well thys exception, that t, is neuer reade like c, thorowout the walshe tonge, as it is communely read of Englishe men in latine verbales endinge in tio, as pronunciatio, electio, subiectio. &c.
Marke also, that it is the nature of t, to be turned into d, and sometyme into th, and some other tyme it is so lyghtly spoken, that the t, is quite lefte awaye, and there remayneth but the h, in stede of the t. But thys is to be vnderstand whē t, is the first letter of a word set in constrction to be construed or builte togither on thys fashion: Na thric ynhy dwy ne dair.
For before they be hewed, squared, and ioyned togyther wyth theyr tenantes and mortesses, they lye [Page] in rude and vndressed timbre after this maner of sort: Na tryc ynty dwy ne tair.The absolute wordes. Furthermore t, in deriuation is left out of the deriued words, that they might sounde more pleasaunte to the eare, as ye maye take these for an example: chwano [...] of chwant: gwnoc of gwynt: monweni of monwent: henieu of haint. &c.
The sounde of Th.
Th, hath the semblable and lyke sounde in Walsh as it hath in Englyshe in these wordes: thorowe, thycke, and thynne: but it is neuer so lythlye spoken, as it is communly sounded in these other wordes: that, thou thine, this.
Moreouer th, wrytten for the fyrste letter of anye worde, sheweth the same word to be than in construction. For there is no walshe worde standinge absolutelye that hath th, for his fyrste letter but t, is hys natiue and originall letter, for the whyche in construction th, is communely vsed. Neither yet do we vse to write th, in anye worde, and to reade the same as t, or d, as it is communely done in these englysh wordes: Thomas, throne, threasure, Thauie sinne: whych be moste vniuersallye spoken after thys sorte:Thauies inne. Tomas, trone, treasure, Dauies inne.
The sounde of V beyng consonant.
There be but fewe words in Walshe yt beginne wyth v. V, Speciallye beynge wrytten in thys maner of fashion v, soundeth in walsh as in english or latine, whā it is a consonant. And it lightly neuer begynneth a word, except the word [Page] be constructed & ioyned with one or more wordes. For than b, or m, beynge the originall or radical letter, is transmuted or chaunged (accordynge to the cō gruitie of the tonge) into v, a consonant.
The sounde of u, beynge a vowell.
But u, wrytten after this maner u, is a vowell, and soundeth as the vulgare Englishe people soūde it in these wordes of Englyshe: truste, bury, busye.
But knowe well that it is neuer sounded in walsh, as it is done in any of these two Englyshe wordes (notwythstanding the diuerse sound of them) sure, lucke. Also the sound of u, in French, or ü, wyth two prickes ouer the heade in Teutche, or the Scottishe pronūciation of u, alludeth somewhat nere vnto the soūd of it in Walshe, thoughe yet none of them all, doeth so exactly (as I thynke) expresse it, as the Hebraick Kubuts doeth.
For the Walsh u, is none other thing, but a meane sounde betwyxte u, and y, beynge latyne vowels.
And therefore who so euer wyll destinctlye learne the Walsh sound of u, let hym once geue eare to a walsh man, whan he speaketh in walshe, the wordes that signifie in englishe obedience (or) oneAcus, seu palea chaffe: whych be these in Walshe .uvudd, ussun. And this vowell u, alone amonge all the letters in Walshe, swarueth in sounde from the true latine pronunciation. Neither is u thus sounded, but of the vnlearned,u abused for Y. who abuse it for y, & that more often of vs that be of Northwales, than of the Southren Walshman.
The sounde of w.
W, In Walshe and englishe hathe but one fygure and power, though it chaūceth to haue two diuerse names, for in Englyshe ye call it double uu, & in Walshe we geue it the name of a syngle u, but than soundynge it after the Latine pronunciation.
But the lesser Greke o, ioyned togyther wyth the Greke y, made a dipthonge, or the Hebraik Vaf. cum puncto schurek in ventre, eyther oo, in these englyshe vocables: booke, looke, boorde, woorde, shall rather expresse hys name, than hys propre efficacie.
But hys owne power, and peculier office in Walshe, shall there no letter nor letters more preciselye set it forth than the w, it selfe, wyth the Englyshe pronunciation. For althoughe the Germaynes vse a w, yet in some wordes sound they it (to my hearing) as the forther u, were a vowell, and the latter a consonant, where we the Britons sounde both uu, wholy togyther as one vowell, wythout anye sondrye distinction, but beynge alwayes eyther the forther or the later parte of a dipthonge in englysh on this wise: wyth, awe: and in Walshe as thus: wyth, awen.
The sounde of X.
X, Is not founde as yet in the Walsh Alphabet: for the walsh speach hath no nede of his office: bicause that suche walshe wordes as be deducted of the Latine, turne their x, into s, as do these: crws, nos, estestenna, escommuna, estran, bicses, whiche come of Crux, nox, extendo, excommunico, extraneus [Page] bisextus.
The sounde of Y.
Y, Is sounded in Walsh as it is these English words: yn, synne, ys, thynne, wynne. Nether yet, as it is sounded of the commune people in any of these two words folowyng: wyde, wynge. Also y, beynge a woorde counteruayleth the signification of (the) in English: and of Le, in French, or of the articles Ha, Ho, in Hebrue & Greke, as thus: y dyn, whose propre signification in Englyshe is not communely vsed, excepte a man shoulde say, the person: but Le homme, shall well declare it to any that shal be skilled in the French.
Of the letter Z.
Z, In Walshe is vnknowne in so much that it was neuer placed in anye walshe worde hytherto: Neither neaded I once to speake of it but bycause I woulde put the reader vtterly oute of doubte in this behalfe.
Of the Abbreuiations.
&, ꝯ, Be neuer vsed in the Walsh, neyther occupy they but few breuiatiōs of sillables, but write euerie sillable at lēgth, saue only in some propre names of mē as they do in these: Eden̄, for Edenyued: Eign̄ Eigion: Grō, for Grono: Gr. or Gruf, for Gruffith: Ieūn for [Page] Io (rum), for Iorwerth: Ken̄, for kenwryck: Lln̄ for Llewelin: Mad for Madock: Tud for Tuder. &c
Whiche kynde of breuiations be not vnworthy the markinge of all such englyshe men, as shall be eyther pregnotaries, clarkes, or counsaylours in Wales.
For I do remembre that once a clarke (being but a yonge begynner) at an assise in oure countrye, redde a mans name beinge (shorte written) Eden ap Iorum wher he should haue read it Edenyuet ap Yorwerth And so the crier called styll, Eden ap Iorum come into the court, or lose .x.li. that shalt thou lose, for thou was sene here euen nowe.
And true it was, for the person that was so oft and so loude called, stode styll all thys whyle euen at the cryers back, and answered not at al (being so straūgly misnamed) vntil he had welmost loste amerciment. At whych feact (the geste at the laste perceyued) was there no smale laughter of all the whole courte.
A briefe rehearsall of all the rules before, with certaine other additions therto pertaynynge.
A cōparison of the pronunciation of ye letters in Walsh to the pronū ciation of ye Greke & Hebrue letters. A, Is mooste vnlike of pronunciation to the Hebrues Aleph.
B, mooste entierly resembleth the nature of Beth.
C, and K, be not vnlike in sounde vnto Caph & Koph. Ch, chi, cheth, and caph with caphe, be of one sounde. D, soundeth as Daleth Daghessata.
Dd, conteyneth the power but of one letter, and that of Dhelta, or of Dhaleth, not Daggesset.
E, is much spoken after the sound of the vowels Segol, or Epsilon.
F, and Beth, withoute the poynte Dagges, or the Greke Veta, be as one in sounde.
ff (or) ph, agre in pronūciation with the Greke Phy, or the Hebraick phe, not poynted wyth Dages.
G, is sounded as Gimel.
H, and thasperation he, be equal in power.
I, in euery poynt agreeth wyth the Greke iota.
L, Lamedh, and Lambdha, disagre not in sound.
Ll, countreuayleth Lambda cōming before iota.
M, N. mem, nun, and my, ny, differ not in sound.
O, and Omega shall sounde as one
P, doeth as well imitate Phe and Phy in sounde as in other conditions.
R, hath a peculier concinuitie with Rho.
S, Samech, and Sigma maye go togyther well inoughe for their tune.
T, soundeth as Teth, or Taf in the Greke.
Th, hath the verye sounde of Theta or Taf hauinge no Dages.
V, beynge consonante soundeth as Beth wythoute Dages or as Veta doeth.
V, beynge vowell is read as Kubuts and not muche vnlyke vnto Ypsilon.
Y, hath the verye sounde of Ypsilon.
What concinnitee the Letters in Walshe haue wyth the Greke letters.
IT semethe not only expedient for the learner hereof, to compare the pronunciation of the letters, to the Hebrues phrase of soundyng, but it is also requisite & no lesse necessarie (for hym that hath a syghte in the Greke tongue) the same also to sort after the diuision of the Greke letters.
Wherfore we call four of the consonantes thynne, bicause they include no maner of aspiration in them: And the same foure shal we call thyck, whan they are aspirated, of whom also thre be called meane, or middle lettters, and that whan they be nether thyck, neither yet thynne.
The thynne letters be these: k p t l.
The thycke letters are these: ch ph ll.
The middle letters, g v dd.
And as these letters in the Greke inflexions do passe one into an other, so haue they in Walshe, such like alteration.
The mutable or chaungeable vowels be these: a, w.
The mutable consonantes be these: b p c, or k d ll m t. And all the reste as well of the bowels as of the consonantes be vnmutable.
Of the sounde of ch, g, i.
Ch in walshe is but one letterThese thre letters, ch, g, i, haue neuer the like sounde in the walshe tong, as they haue in these englysh wordes, chere, gentle, iack.
Of contraction vsed in Walshe.
I-o shal be contracted into o, longe, or into aw: as digio, digo, or digaw: llidio or llidaw. And such maner of cōtraction is more peculier vnto the Southren [Page] Walshmen, than to vs of Northwales.
Of accente.
The obseruation of accente is it that shall do muche towarde the attaynynge of the natiue pronunciation of any language, in so muche that sometime the alteration of accent shal altere also the signification of the word, as in these wordes in Greke: Neos, Tomos, Pharos. and these in walshe: gwydd, gwyll, gwyr: and in Englishe: these, differ, prouide, denye. &c.
Certayne Englishe wordes wherof ye may gather the Walsh pronunciation of the letters.
Archangell, Beynge, Called, Michael, Discomfyted* Dde, EuerF for V Fillaynous, Fend, Gget, Him,Dd for th Itch I-eldynge, Kest, Laye, Mellttt, Murmurynge, Not, Ouer, Preuayled, Rauenynge, Horrible, Satanas, Tormented, Thorowe, Valeant, Busines, Worthy, Yll.
These be wordes wherein the letters be most vnlikely soūded to the walsh pronunciation of them.
All, Combe, Dombe, Ceasse, Cyue, Checke, Adder, Ele, Fyshe, Gender, Engyn, Humoure, Honour, In, Iaundice, Fall,The bide. Osyll, Reason, Season, Thomas, That, Vncle, Ydle, Syngyng.
The signification of a, in Walshe.
A, in walshe set before an interrogatiue reasō betokeneth (whether) in english as thus: a ddaw ef, a y ynte ni ddaw? yt is (if I might so wel phrase it in english) whither wil he come [Page] or whether wyll he not come? A y hwn yw ef? is this he? A y hon ywr vwlyddyn vecses? is this the bisext or leape yeare? But ye muste marke that sometime a, in Walshe is the forther piece of ac, whyche agreeth in signification wyth (ac) in latine, and wyth (and) in Englyshe: And thys coniunction ac, in Walshe, set in construction before a worde that beginneth wyth a consonaunt shall put away c, and shall be reade after the onli power of a, as thus. Deo a Mair: vn a dau, and not Deo ac Mair, vn ac dau.
The signification of Y.
Y, betokeneth in Englishe (the) as thus: y gwr, the man: y wraic, the woman. And when y, cometh before a verbe, it betokeneth (ther) and if the verbe or word that foloweth after the y, begyn wyth a vowel, than shall there be added d, dd, or r, vnto the y, for to stop the ouermuch gapinge that the metynge togyther of the to many vowels should els haue caused, as thus: yd, oedd, ydd, oedd (or) yr, oedd, there was. And sometyme y, include th in it selfe such a relation as schin in the Hebrue doeth.
A generall rule for the readynge of Walsh.
THough there be diuerse precepts heretofore written of the Walshe pronuntiation of the letters, I woulde thinke it not ouermuch dissonant nor yet to wyde from the purpose, to admonish you in this behalfe, that is: that you ought [Page] not to reade the Walshe accordynge as ye do the Englyshe or Frenche, but euen after the readynge of the latine. For in readynge Englyshe or Frenche, ye do not reade some wordes all so fully as they be wrotē.
And in manye other ye seme to sounde the sillables more fully than the expressed letters do geue. Which maner of readynge is so vtterly eschued in walsh, as ye perceyue it to be exactly obserued of thē that perfitely reade the latine tong: Neyther do I meane here to call them perfite and latinelyke readers as manye as do reade: angnus, mangnus, for agnus, magnus, ingnis, for ignis: sātus, for sāctus, sawl for sal: sowl, for sol: and for mihi, meichei: and egow for ego: tuw for tu: and quith ligith, in stede of quid legit. &c. Therfore ye muste learne to forget suche maner of pronunciation agaynste ye prepare youre selues to reade the walsh. More ouer ye ought to know, yt these words dringo, gwingo, kynga, myngen, anglod, angred: and the most part of such lyke walsh wordes hauyng ng, in them, and beynge of moe sillables thā oue, shall be reade as these Englyshe wordes be (but ye muste admite them to be reade nowe as of two sillables euery worde) Kynges, rynges, bryngeth, syngeth: For euen as ye do not reade them: kyn-ges, ryn-ges, bryn-geth syn-geth: but rather in thys wyse: kyng-es, ryng-es, bryng eth: euen so do wesounde: dring-o, & not dringo: gwing o myng-en, and not myn-gē: Albeit yet as ng, maye be seuered and parted in this english word sin-geth (but the significatiō altered) so haue we some wordes in walshe (whā they are spoken) in whom the sillables may be seuered in ng, as in these: an-gerth, llan-gwm, trin gyrch. &c.
MOre ouer maister Colingborn, thys shalbe further to certify you, that mine intent herein was not to instructe or to teach any man absolutely the walshe tonge, but rather to let the reader haue a sight of it (as it were thorow a lattesse) and to proue whether it were possible for a man to come to the naturall speach of a language, wyth the onelye introduction of preceptes. For I meane nothing lesse thā to go about to enduce any English man to learne Walshe (but for hope to attayne so muche englishe of such in permutation therof) but contrarily I would fayne wyth all industry endeuer my selfe to helpe and further all Walshemen to come to the knoweledge of Englyshe,Englishe as a language moste expediente, and most worthiest to be learned, studied, and enhaūced, of al them that be subiectes, and vnder the obeysaunce of the imperiall diademe, and triumphante Sceptre of Englande, euen for the attaynement of knowledge in Gods word, and other liberall sciences whyche thorowe the benifite of the learned men of our dayes be communely hadde and sette forth in the said Englishe tongue.
WalsheAgayne as for the Walsh tong euen as it is not now to be compared wyth the Englyshe language, so is it not so rude, so grosse, nor so barbarous, as straūgers beynge therein all ignorante and blynd do adiugde it to be: nor yet (to speake indifferentlye wythout all affections) is it not all so copious, so fyne, so pure, nor so fully replenished with eligancie, graces, & eloquence, as they them selues suppose it.
Howebeit whan the whole Isle was communely [Page] called Brytayne, the dwellers Brutes or Brytōs,Whā Englande Schotlā de & Wales were called Britaine were the Walshemens aū cestours called Brytons and accordyngelye their language Brytishe, I wyll not refell nor greatelye denye, neyther can I iustelye gaynsaye but theyr tonge than was as copious of fit wordes, and all maner of propre vocables, and as well adournated wyth worshypfull sciences, and honorable knoweledge, as anye other barbarous tonges were.
And so styll continued (thoughe their Septre declined, and theyr Kyngedome decayed, and they also were driuen into the moste vnfertyll region, barenest contrey, and moste desert prouince of all the Isle) vntyll the conquest of Wales. For than (as they saye) the nobles and the greateste men of the countrey beynge captiues, & brought prisoners into the tower of Lō don there to remayne durynge their liues, desiered of a commune requeste, that they myght haue wyth thē all such bokes of their tonge as they moste delited in, and so their pticion was hearde, and for the lightnes sone graunted, and so brought with them al the principallest and chiefest bokes, as wel of their owne, as of other their frendes, of whom they coulde obtayne any to serue for their purpose: whose mind was none other but to passe the time and their predestinate, perpetual captiuitie in the amenous varietie of ouerreadynge and reuolueynge manye volumes, and sondrye bokes of diuerse sciences and straunge matters.
And that is the commune answere of the WalsheBarde. Bardes (for so call they their Poets or rime makers) Whan a mā shal obiect or cast in their teath the folysh [Page] vncertaintie and the phantasticall vanities of theyr prophecies (whyche they cal Brutes) or the doubtful race and kinde of liuing of their vncanonised sayntes: whom that notwythstandynge they doeth inuocate and worshyp wyth the mooste hyghe hon [...]noure and lowliest reuerence.Lhyfreu Kymry ai llofrudd, Ir twr gwyn aythant ar gudd, Ysceler oedd i Scolā Vwrw .r twr o lyfreu ir tā Gutto .r. Glyn. Addynge and allegynge in excuse thereof, that ye reliques and residue of the bokes and monumentes, as well of their Sayntes lyues, as of their Brutyshe prophecies and other sciences (which perished not in the tower (for there they saye certayne were burned) at the insurrection of their contrye rebell Owen Glyn-door: were in like maner destroyed, & vtterly deuastat, or at the least wyse that there escaped not one, that was not vncurablye maymed, and irrecuparablye torne and mangled.
But hereto it mighte rather appertayne to speake to renewe, and call to remembraunce the diligent and curious obseruaunce of olde antiquiti, as concerning exact pronuntiation and ryght soundynge of wordes sillables, and letters, whych euen the noble nation of the Grekes (who excelled all other nations in euerie kynde of good learnynge) dyd not once neglecte to inuent, practice, and duly execute for the wontynge, exercisynge, and perfeictinge of the tonge of youthe, to the ende it should not so easely stomble, stagger, lysp, or relent besyde the iust and true soundynge of all such letters, sillables, and words, as were hard to be soū ded for the straunge concourse and vnwont metynge togyther of the ouer manye consonantes in the same: Of whych sorte the Grekes haue many words, as it appeareth in thys verse.
And suche verses be called of them Chalepoi. that is: harde to pronunce accordynglye. And the Latines haue deuised them for the same purpose thys other verse. ‘Arx stridens rostris, sphin [...] prester torrida seps strix.’ And the diligence of the aunciente Englishe men hath found out (to auoyde the volutable and slypper lapse of the tonge in soundynge togyther a meyny of wordes conteynynge in them diuerse consonantes of vnlyke pronunciation) thys compacte of wordes & such other like. Three beanes in a bladder, rattle bladder rattle.The English Saxons called firste the Brytons walshemen Also the Brytons (I meane them whom the vnlearned and the commune sorte of people call styll in the old Saxons terme Walshmen) of like regard haue ioyned togither certain words for ye same intēt: whyche who so euer shall redilye, roundely, and perfitelye sound: the same shall also pronounce more easelye all other wordes: And ye shall take thys nowe for one harde sentence in Walsh, but to be spoken roundlye: Paam y bydd garw blayn blew barf gafyr? am y bod yn pori bric helyn garw gardd bardd baron. &c. Here is an other of that sorte but shorter: Barkutan yn pigo pupur. An other as harde. Kiffill ar ben gallt y pistill. These examples maye seme to some men not onely vulgare and chyldishe, but also vayne, vnfrutefull, and no lesse folyshe: and so be they in dede (and what is not so, beinge abused or mistaken?) if they be not applyed to the directed scope and purposed intēt. But nowe who shall be so vnlucky as to leape ouer a blocke and stumble at a strawe? And who is he that shal distincly pronoūce in Douch Bildtschuitzer, but the same shall sone pronounce Verdampt? What mā is he that can sounde Wynchester Englyshelike, but [Page] cosequently speake hault or suche other lyght word? And so who is he that can speake thaboue wryghten walsh sentences and can mysse of the pronuciation of other wordes of moare commune construction? And bycause (as I protested befor) I do not entend to encourage you nor anye man els,Brytyshe misnamed walshe. than is ouer desierous to the studye of Brytyshe (I meane the language that by continuall misnomer the recorder of the aunciente hostilitie is called Walshe) I wyll not once speake a a worde in praise of it (thoughe and if I were learned I myght say somewhat to it) but willingly wil pretermit to set forthe what select wordes, what consonant and fine termes, and what sentencious and net adages, whych the olde, sage, & learned fathers haue not only inuented, but also of the Grekes and the Latines moste prosperouslye haue taken, translated, accepted, and vntill thys daye stil retayned: I wyl omit to declare any white of the manifolde retorical phrases, I wyll winke at the tropes, metaphores, & translations, and such maner of speaches whych the Brytyshe tonge hath as commune,The Hebrue tōge yea rather as peculier or sisterlyke wyth the holy language.
And as for to conferre the pronuntiation of them both togyther I wyll not: for, what shuld I make a comparison betwexte whyte, and euen like whyte? or liken an egge, to an egge? And if I shoulde but once enter to treat of the vnspekeable felicitie, and the wō derous graces of the Brytishe meters (who his inexplicable obseruatiue composition,Loke els in ye laste leafe no man but bi the onely gifte of nature hath euer attayned) I should neuer make an ende.
But nowe after thys, oh, howe it greaueth me to [Page] disclose the vnfayned trueth, and to confesse the vndisimuled veritie, that there remayneth now but walsh pamphlets for the goodly Brytish bokes, sometyme so well furnished wyth all kynde of literature: and so fewe Brytyshe fragmentes of the booke of Christes owne religion remaine vnwormeaten,For if ye gospel be hyd, it is hid amōg thē that are lost. ii. Co. iiii and defended from iniurye of tyme, and the booke of Howel da ap Cadell so longe preserued salfe and sounde? Yea, it is rather to be lamented and greatly to be sorowed to se howe fewe Walshemen haue the knoweledge of the Englyshe tonge, whyche as by the next way mought nowe restaurate for the outworne baren Britishe, the reliques of the noble Britons to their euer affectionate knowledge, and accustomed learnynge of good letters, pietie, and godlines.
But nowe maister Colingborne, leaste peraduenture, where I thynke my selfe but familiarly to talke here with you, and other my familiares (as my meanynge is none other in dede) some thankeles taunter entermeddle and say vnto me, alludyng to that mocke of Diogenes. ‘O viri Myndi portas occludite, ne quando vrbs vestra egrediatur.’ meanynge thys thereby. O my good frende haue done wyth your Walshe fables haue done: for els your ioly prooemion. and your goodly parergon shalbe lenger than al your boke besyde: Here therfore at ye last I make an ende.