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wild wales-第182章

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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
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