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Welsh Pronunciations
Throughout this series I’ve opted to use modern Welsh words in place of old Brythonic variants.
Any errors in word use or selection are solely mine. Variations in northern and southern Welsh accents are not included in this guide.
Below is a limited guide to some of the spellings and pronunciations you will find in this series.
Welsh Pronunciations: In Welsh, all letters are pronounced, even when it appears impossible to do so. Vowels typical are pronounced in their “soft” forms with a few exceptions:
A as in man
E as in met
I is a hard E sound, as in Queen
O as in hot
U is a hard I or E sound, as in Pita
W (yes, it’s a vowel in Welsh) is the double O sound, as in Zoo
Y has several variations:
Alone it’s usually pronounced uh as an article: y caer (the fortress)
Within a word, it acts as a Welsh U
Double Vowell Dipthongs:
Ei, Eu: as ay way
Ow: long O as in tow
Ae, Ai, Au: as the y in my
Ywy: as in the ui in Fluid
Other Welsh Sounds:
dd: pronounced as the TH sound
Bleddyn = Blethun
Rh: to pronounce this, reverse the sounds. H then R, and trill or roll the R
LL: This is the “dreaded” Welsh sound, and is almost unique to the Welsh language. To pronounce this sound, place your tongue against the roof of your mouth, as though you’ve finished the sound of “EL”, then blow as though you’re pronouncing the beginning of the “H” sound. Add in the “EL” sound. This sound has also been described as pronouncing an L with a th in front of it.
FF: is F as in fan
F: is V as in Avon (Welsh pronunciation of “Afon”)
C: is always hard, similar to the K in English, as in “Cat”
CH: as in the Scottish “Loch”
Names in Penllyn
Neirin: Nayreen
Rhian: Hrrian
Rhos: Hrross
Bleddyn: Blethun
Owain: O-wine
Fadog: Va-dog
If you are a native Welsh speaker, and notice any flaws in the above, please let me know via email: troy@troyahill.com
Glossary
of terminology, places, and historical figures
In the early and mid-seventh century, the divisions we know of today, England, Scotland and Wales didn’t exist then. Throughout history, different names and terms have been used for various factions, peoples, and areas of Britain. Below are the terms used in this book. The author has also included historical figures of the time that may be referenced in the various stories.
Bernicia: A Kingdom, in north-central Britannia. Later, it was combined with Deira to form what would be called Northumbria.
Britannia: The largest of the British Isles.
Britain: Modern day Wales: A dark-ages political division that denotes the western half of the lower section of Britannia that is still controlled by the native British. The other sections are often controlled by Saxon and Pagan Kings.
Cadwallon ap Cadfan: King of Gwynedd, died 634/5.
Cantref (plural cantrefi): A division of land within a Cymry kingdom. Cantrefi were ruled by Lords, who owed allegiance to Kings.
Cymry: A term referring to the native Britons who remained following the withdrawal of the Roman legions at the beginning of the dark ages (late fourth century and early fifth century CE). This term typically refers to the people we know today as the Welsh. The author will use Cymry to distinguish the Welsh from their Anglo-Saxon neighbours.
Edwin: King of Deira and Bernicia (d. 632 or 633 CE).
Fadog (cantref)*: A former part of the Kingdom of Powys.
Gwynedd: A Cymry Kingdom, in what would be North Wales today.
Ida: first known King of Bernicia, (d. 559 CE). His descendants were among the kings and rulers of several of the non-Cymric kingdoms of Britannia. "Sons of Ida" refer to his descendants who were fierce rulers and warlords.
Mercia: a Saxon Kingdom in the midlands of today’s Britain.
Penda: King of Mercia
Penllyn (cantref)*: A cantref of the Kingdom of Powys.
Penteulu: The leader of a Cymry Lord’s war band or guard.
Rhos (cantref)*: A cantref of the Kingdom of Gwynedd.
Saxons: Germanic settlers into the British Isles following the withdrawal of Rome from the land. They controlled many of the Eastern British kingdoms during the dark ages.
* The Author has taken liberties with people and location boundaries, as well as with historical timelines surrounding several Cantrefi and their lords.