The Primary Letters

The Barddas of Iolo Morganwg, Vol. I., ed. by J. Williams Ab Ithel, [1862], at sacred-texts.com

THE PRIMARY LETTERS.

Sixteen principal letters have been from the beginning; namely, , (others say, ,) (or ) (or ) ( ) ( ) ( .)

And in respect of others, letters were doubled, trebled, or quadrupled; as man, ei mman, maan, maab, gwen, gween, rhen, byr, myyr, llyyr, tor, moor, crwn, crwwn,

p. 80 p. 81

baad, ei bbaad, dyydd, ei ddydd, fy dddydd, &c. (Llywelyn Sion.)

Whence the doubling of d and dd, and l and ll, still retained. n for d; m for b.

Variations.

for -- for or -- for -- for ,-- for -- for -- for .-- for -- for -- for -- for .

secretary, whence -- secretary from . ^*

These are the ten principal letters, which Einigan the Giant made,

A. P. C. E. T. I. L. R. O. S. ¹

That is to say, they are the ten powers of sound produced by the ten organs of speech. Others call them the ten organs of speech; and so also are the ten principal letters named.

Footnotes

79:1 p. 78 Adam Davie, an old English Minstrel or Poet floruit Anno 1312.--Percy's Essay, p. 101. He was probably the same as Addav Eurych, who was also called Addav ap Davydd, and wrote in English as well as in Welsh. His son, p. 79 Gruffydd ap Addaf ap Davydd, was the friend of Davydd ap Gwilym; and was murdered at Dolgelley.

81:* These English observations are, no doubt, those of the copyist, Iolo Morganwg.

81:1 We have placed the vowels E and O in the positions which they ought to occupy so as to form the word Apcetilros.