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primary or radical word; that word is codi; to rise or raise;
almost identical in sound and sense with the Sanscrit kuda。 Till a
house is raised there is no house; and there is no hill till the
Nara or Omnipotent says ARISE。
The Welsh is one of the most copious languages of the world; as it
contains at least eighty thousand words。 It has seven vowels; w in
Welsh being pronounced like oo; and y like u and i。 Its most
remarkable feature is the mutation of initial consonants; to
explain which properly would require more space than I can afford。
(27) The nouns are of two numbers; the singular and plural; and a
few have a dual number。 The genders are three; the Masculine; the
Feminine and the Neuter。 There are twelve plural terminations of
nouns; of which the most common is au。 Some substantives are what
the grammarians call aggregate plurals; (28) 〃which are not used
in the plural without the addition of diminutive terminations; for
example adar; birds; aderyn; a bird; gwenyn; bees; gwenynen; a
single bee。〃 There are different kinds of adjectives; some have a
plural; some have none; some have a feminine form; others have not;
the most common plural termination is ion。 It is said by some that
the verb has properly no present tense; the future being used
instead。 The verbs present many difficulties; and there are many
defective and irregular ones。 In the irregularities of its verbs
the Welsh language very much resembles the Irish。
The numerals require some particular notice: forty; sixty and
eighty are expressed by deugain; trigain; and pedwarugain;
literally; two twenties; three twenties; and four twenties; whilst
fifty; seventy; and ninety are expressed by words corresponding
with ten after two twenties; ten after three twenties; and ten
after four twenties。 Whether the Welsh had ever a less clumsy way
of expressing the above numbers is unknown … something similar is
observable in French; and the same practice prevails in the modern
Gaelic; in the ancient Gaelic; however; there are such numerals as
ceathrachad; seasgad; and naochad; which correspond with
quadraginta; sexaginta; and nonaginta。 The numerals dau; tri; and
pedwar; or two; three; and four; have feminine forms; becoming when
preceding feminine nouns; dwy; tair; and pedair。 In Gaelic no
numeral has a feminine form; certain numerals; however; have an
influence over nouns which others have not; and before cead; a
hundred; and mile; a thousand; do; two; is changed into da; for it
is not customary to say do chead; two hundred; and do mhile; two
thousand; but da chead and da mhile。 (29) With respect to pedwar;
the Welsh for four; I have to observe that it bears no similitude
to the word for the same number in Gaelic; the word for four in
Gaelic is ceathair; and the difference between ceathair and pedwar
is great indeed。 Ceathair is what may be called a Sanscritic
numeral; and it is pleasant to trace it in various shapes; through
various languages; up to the grand speech of India: Irish;
ceathair; Latin; quatuor; Greek; tessares; Russian; cheturi;
Persian; chahar; Sanscrit; chatur。 As to pedwar; it bears some
resemblance to the English four; the German vier; is almost
identical with the Wallachian patrou; and is very much like the
Homeric word 'Greek text which cannot be reproduced'; but beyond
Wallachia and Greece we find nothing like it; bearing the same
meaning; though it is right to mention that the Sanscrit word pada
signifies a QUARTER; as well as a foot。 It is curious that the
Irish word for five; cuig; is in like manner quite as perplexing as
the Welsh word for four。 The Irish word for five is not a
Sanscritic word; pump; the Welsh word for five; is。 Pantschan is
the Sanscrit word for five; and pump is linked to pantschan by the
AEolick pempe; the Greek pente and pemptos; the Russian piat and
the Persian Pantsch; but what is cuig connected with? Why it is
connected with the Latin quinque; and perhaps with the Arabic
khamsa; but higher up than Arabia we find nothing like it; or if
one thinks one recognises it; it is under such a disguise that one
is rather timorous about swearing to it … and now nothing more on
the subject of numerals。
I have said that the Welsh is exceedingly copious。 Its
copiousness; however; does not proceed; like that of the English;
from borrowing from other languages。 It has certainly words in
common with other tongues; but no tongue; at any rate in Europe;
can prove that it has a better claim than the Welsh to any word
which it has in common with that language。 No language has a
better supply of simple words for the narration of events than the
Welsh; and simple words are the proper garb of narration; and no
language abounds more with terms calculated to express the
abstrusest ideas of the meta…physician。 Whoever doubts its
capability for the purpose of narration; let him peruse the Welsh
Historical Triads; in which are told the most remarkable events
which befell the early Cumry; and whosoever doubts its power for
the purpose of abstruse reasoning; let him study a work called
Rhetorick; by Master William Salisbury; written about the year
1570; and I think he will admit that there is no hyperbole; or; as
a Welshman would call it; GORWIREB; in what I have said with
respect to the capabilities of the Welsh language。
As to its sounds … I have to observe that at the will of a master
it can be sublimely sonorous; terribly sharp; diabolically guttural
and sibilant; and sweet and harmonious to a remarkable degree。
What more sublimely sonorous than certain hymns of Taliesin; more
sharp and clashing than certain lines of Gwalchmai and Dafydd
Benfras; describing battles; more diabolically grating than the
Drunkard's Choke…pear by Rhys Goch; and more sweet than the lines
of poor Gronwy Owen to the Muse? Ah; those lines of his to the
Muse are sweeter even than the verses of Horace; of which they
profess to be an imitation。 What lines in Horace's ode can vie in
sweetness with
〃Tydi roit a diwair wen
Lais eos i lysowen!〃
〃Thou couldst endow; with thy dear smile;
With voice of lark the lizard vile!〃
Eos signifies a nightingale; and Lysowen an eel。 Perhaps in no
language but the Welsh; could an eel be mentioned in lofty poetry:
Lysowen is perfect music。
Having stated that there are Welsh and Sanscrit words which
correspond; more or less; in sound and meaning; I here place side
by side a small number of such words; in order that the reader may
compare them。
WELSH SANSCRIT
Aber; a meeting of waters; an Ap; apah; water; apaga;
outflowing; Avon; a river; a river; Persian; ab;
Aw; a flowing water; Wallachian; apa
Anal; breath Anila; air
Arian; silver Ara; brass; Gypsy; harko;
Aur; gold copper (30)
Athu; to go At'ha; Russian; iti
Bod; being; existence Bhavat; bhuta
Brenin; a king Bharanda; a lord; Russian
barin