Welsh Journals

jgttctetflfljpa: €mhttmi& FOURTH SERIES.—VOL. XII, NO. XLVIII. OCTOBER 1881. COMPARISON OF CELTIC WORDS FOUND IN OLD ENGLISH LITERATURE and ENGLISH DIALECTS with MODERN CELTIC FORMS. PART II. In the first part of this inquiry, some examples were given of Celtic words in the English language that are, for the most part, the same in consonantal and vowel sounds as their equivalents in modern Celtic tongues. It was stated, however, that many of these Anglo-Celtic words vary from the present Celtic forms, and that they present generally a more archaic type, which is probably that which prevailed in the sixth and seventh centuries of our era. Some instances of this kind will now be given ; and the vowel sounds will properly come first under discussion. This part of our subject is, however, surrounded by many difficulties. The representation of these sounds by letters varies so much in the English and Welsh systems, and also in the Welsh, as compared with the Irish or Gaelic, that a mere comparison of one letter, as of English u, with Welsh u, would only mislead the reader who is not, in some degree, conversant with both languages. There are also in English many differences of pronunciation of the same vowel forms, 4th ser., vol. xii. 18