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386
APPENDIX.
Oathin
Ceindrych
Ceinwen
Burgain
Bnvail
Enid
Olweii
Rhuddlad Khiengar
Myllen
Macbes
Madrud
Morfudd
Denys* Gwladys Myfanwy
Gwen Tybie
Tydfil Most of the above are names of so-called Saints, many of them are to
to be found in " Bonedd y Saint," I only give a, selection, more
might be added.
C. "The Welsh Note."
The idea is that if you shut Welsh out of the schoolroom and the playground,
you are in that way likely to teach English better. There is a plan by which
if a boy is heard to speak a word of Welsh, a piece of stick or board, about
a finger's length, is taken out of the master's desk, with the letters W.N.
on it, meaning " Welsh Note." This is handed to the child, if he
has it in his possession at the close of the school, is to be punished. This
child is not now thinking of his lesson; he is very anxious to find somebody
who speaks Welsh, in order to hand the W.N. on to him. — Dan. I. Davies' evidence
before Education Commission, 1886, Newport Ed., p. 19.
[The custom is nearly, if not quite obsolete.— J. E. S.]
D. Teachers' Replies.
Tabulated Statement of Teacher's Replies, in 1885, to fthe question.— "
Do you consider that advantage would result from the introduction of the
Welsh language as a ' specific subject ' into the coiirse of elementary
education in Wales?
County.
Affiraiative.
Negative.
Neutral.
Total.
Anglesey
20
10
3
33
Carnarvon
38
30
2
70
Denbigh
19
18
3
40
Flint
8
13
1
22
Merioneth
29
12
2
43
Montgomery . . .
19
17
36
Cardigan
33
18
51
Radnor
4
4
1
9
Brecknock
10
10
1
21
Pembroke
18
21
6
45
Carmarthen
34
25
3
62
Glamorgan
77
48
7
. 132
Monmouth
... 27
23
3
53
Oswestry district
1
5
3
6
Anonymous
2
3
5
Total
... 339
.. 257
. 32
. 628
Affirmi
itive majority 82
• Dinas Powis— should be Denys Powis-Denys was a Princess of Powis. "
The Llafar gwlad is right and the bookmen are wrong" says a
Monmouthshire friend of mine.
APPENDIX.
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387
It must be borne in mind that some teachers -n-ere on the negative tide,
evidently as a result of the system whereby the Government has ignored education
in Welsh at the Training Colleges, and that they felt themselves incompetent
to teach it.
E. Welsh in Monmouthshibb.
The following indieates the number of Meeting houses in Monmouthshire where
Welsh is regularly preached, at least once a week. —
Baptist 52
Congregational ... 37
Calvinistic Methodist 37
Wesleyan ... ... 7
Episcopalian ... 5
In all probability there are more members and attendants in connection with
these, the hindermost tail (yeoyraphically) of Welsh Ecclesiasticism than
there are Quakers in all Great Britain. I may not be absolutely correct to
one or two units, the real discrepancy, if any, is but small.
F. The Census
OF 1891— Population of Welsh Cou
NTIES.
{Returns
as to Lanyuage not yet puhluhed).
Anglesey
.50,379
Glamorganshire
687,147
Brecknockshire
57,031
Merionethshire
49,204
Cardiganshire
62.596
Monmouthshire
252,260
Carmarth ensh ire
130,574
M ontgomery shire
58,003
Carnarvonshire
118,226
Pembrokeshire
89,125
Denbighshire
117,950
Radnorshire
,21,791
Flintshire
77,189
Total ... 1,771,174
G. Welsh Ubban Sanitaey Disteicts, 1891.
Aberavon ...
6,281
Bridgend
4,759
Aberdare
38,513
Briton Ferry
5,778
Abergavenny
7,640
Brynmawr ...
6,330
Abergele and Peusarn
1,981
Abersychan
15,296
Caerleon
1,411
Abertillery
9,138
Cardiff
128,849
Aberystwitii
6,696
Cardigan
3,447
Carmarthen...
10,338
Bala
1,622
Carnarvon ...
9,804
Bangor
9,892
Chepstow ...
3,378
Barmouth ..
2,045
Colwyn Bay & Colwyn
4,750
Barry and Cadoxton . . .
13,268
Conway
3,467
Beaumaris ...
2,202
Cowbridge ...
1,377
Bethesda ...
5,799
Criccieth
1,410
Blaenavon ...
11,454
Brecknoek ...
5,794
Denbigh
6,412
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388
APPENDIX.
Ebbw Vale ...
17,025
Neath
11,157
Newport
54,695
l<'estiniog ...
11,073
New Quay ...
1,284
Flint
5,247
Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn ...
6,610
Haverfordwest
6,179
Hay
1,830
Oswestry (Salop)
8,496
Holyhead ...
8,726
Oystermouth
3,698
Holywell
3,018
. Panteg
5,763
Kidwelly
2,732
Pembroke ...
14,978
Knighton
1,650
Penarth
12,422
Penmaenmawr
2,710
Lampeter ...
1,569
Pontypool ...
5,842
Llandilo
1,714
Pontypridd...
19,971
Llandovery ...
1,742
Presteigne ...
1,360
Llandudno ...
7,300
Pwllheli
3,232
Llanelly
23,937
Llanfairfechan
2,407
Rhyl
6,491
Llanfrechfa, Upper ...
2,780
Khymney
7,733
Llanfyllin ...
1,753
Kisoa
7,780
Llangefni
1,624
Ruthin
2,760
Llangollen ...
3,225
Llanidloes ...
2,574
Swansea
90,423
Llantarnam...
4,905
Tenby
4,542
Maesteg
9,417
Towyn
3,294
Margam
6,274
Tredegar
17,484
Menai Bridge
1,679
Trefonen (Radnorshire)
784
Merthyr Tydfil
58,080
Milford
4,070
Usk
1,417
Mold
4,457
Monmouth ...
5,470
Welshpool ...
6,489
Montgomery
1,098
Wre.xham ...
12,552
Mountain Ash
17,495
Ynyscynhaiaru
5,224
Nantyglo and Blaina
12,360
Ystradyfodwg
88,350
H. Pbopobtion of Vowels and Consonants in Welsh and English.— (.See p. 260)
We judge that what makes Welsh Cynghanedd possible, is the near proportion
between the number of consonants and vowels in the formationof the words,
together with the fact, that their proper sound is given to both classes of
letters. In English. lrish,aaelic and French, there are a great number of
unsounded consonants * * But there is a notable proportion in Welsh, as may
be seen from the following examples— Out of 657 Welsh letters contained in
eighteen lines of a book opened at random, 331 were
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APPENDIX. 389
vowels and 326 consonants, only a difference of Ave; out of the same number
of English letters, 264 were vowels, 393 consonants, a difference of 129.
Again in twelve lines of a Welsh Cyivydd, there were found 115 vowels, and
113 consonants, while in the English, out of the same number there were 95
vowels, and 133 consonants: under these conditions, [in the case of English],
it is clear Cynghanedd is impossible. (Translated from Yr Adolygydd, Cyf. ii.
t. 418.)
I. The "Columbia" (Ajiekican) on Welsh Litebatukb.
" Even in the Nineteenth Century,'' (so says a writer in the American
journal Columhia) "Wales has produced poets who, in real poetic
inspiration, in exalted imagination, in charming simplicity and beauty of
style, are scarcely inferior to the world's master poets. The Welsh mind is
original, and there is in her literature a wealth of literary treasure of
which now the Welsh language is the sole repository. — From a Cardiff Paper.
J. " Echoes feom the Welsh Hills."
The inhabitants of Wales have clung so tenaciously to their language, that
during the last fifty years they have formed a new literature in their own
tongue. This, when we consider its youth, bears no mean comparison for
insight, beauty and force with the religious literature— for the literature
of Wales is essentially religious — of any modern nation.
The inconvenience consequent on the motley character of the English language,
as it regards the education and instruction of the English language, is beyond
belief to those who have carefully considered the matter.
* * * )t * *
It is a great advantage to have in common use a language that is
self-included, and that cannot fail to be understood in any of its
combinations and compounds, even to the full extent of modern discoveries, by
the mass of the people. To revert to the word " Omniscience," is
there a Welsh beggar-woman ninety years of age who could by any considerable
possibility, misunderstand it? " Holhuybodaeth" —i\\w& it is
patently and infallibly comprehended by all men of our nation. And so on, ad
infinitum.— {Extracted from p.p. 179, 180, 183)
[It is surprising how few Welsh writers have realized this, it is in fact
only to be realized by comparisons which many of them have not had full opportunities
to make.]'^J. E. S.
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Statistics
for Welsh Texts Section / Ystadegau’r Adran Destunau Cymraeg