Notes on words, etc.,

A manuscript consisting of a number of ? home-made note-books or booklets containing material in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') bound together into one volume. P. 1 (which with pp. 2, 47-8 formed the covers of booklet 1) is inscribed 'Cymreigyddyn Rhif I, Silurian Words and others, miscellaneous'. The contents of pp. 3-24, 45-7 (other pages blank) of this booklet consist almost entirely of groups or lists of miscellaneous Welsh words with, variantly, English or Welsh equivalents or definitions, explanatory notes, phrases or poetic extracts to illustrate usage or meaning, etc. Also included is a list of words and phrases illustrating differences of usage in the Silurian and Venedotian dialects. P. 49 (which with pp. 50, 67-8 formed the covers of a second booklet) is inscribed 'Cymreigyddyn Rhif II. Casgliadau Llythyregawl' and (in the hand of Taliesin Williams) 'Poets and Poetry appertaining to Merthyr Tydvil Promiscuously inserted Mai 13, 1831', but the booklet is blank except for p. 68 which contains a note on the language and style of the Gogynfeirdd and the probability that such a poetic style had been introduced into Welsh poetry through Gruffudd ap Cynan's connection with Icelandic sources. P. 69 (which with pp. 70, 119-20 formed the covers of a third booklet) is inscribed 'Cymreigyddyn Rhif V (To go with the Salmau London proof paper)' and (in the hand of Taliesin Williams) 'Bannau'r flwyddyn. Tynghedfen Taliesin'. Most of this section is blank but pp. 71-5, 78-9 contain material similar to that which is found on pp. 3-24, 45-7, and also some verse attributed to Taliesin. P. 121 (which with pp. 122, 169-70 formed the covers of a fourth booklet) is inscribed 'Cymreigyddyn Rhif VI', but the section is blank except for pp. 122-9 which contain material similar to that on pp. 3-24, 45-7, 71-5, 78-9. P. 171 (which with pp. 172, 221-2 formed the covers of a fifth booklet) is inscribed 'Extracts from E. Llwyd's MS. in Mr. Nichol's possession', 'Topographical Anecdotes of Glamorgan, & c.', 'Gallia Togata, Celtica, & Braccata from Littleton. Last page of this book', and (in the hand of Taliesin Williams) 'Pit Falls and Subterranean Rivers in Glamorgan'. The greater part of this section is blank but pp. 173-9, 181-5 contain lists or groups of Welsh words with notes such as those noted in the preceding sections (some being associated with specified areas) and of names of dwellings or topographical features in specified parishes or counties in Wales, a sketch plan relating to a cross in Cowbridge churchyard, a brief note relating to Edward Llwyd, and a geological note, pp. 187-8, notes headed 'Topographical Anecdotes of Glamorgan', and pp. 220-21, a list of Latin proper names, etc., relating to Gaul, the Celts, the Cimmeri, etc., 'from Littlelton's Dictionary'. Frequently interspersed amongst the material on pp. 173-9, 181-5 is the name of Edward Llwyd and this material may have been extracted from one of his manuscripts as indicated on the cover to the section (p. 171). P. 223 ( which with pp. 224, 271-2 formed the covers of a sixth booklet) is inscribed '1. Extracts from Ystatut Rhuddlan. 2. Extracts from Hywel Dda end of this book reversed. 3. Historical Fragments from various MSS. Welsh'. The greater part of the section is blank but pp. 226-30 contain legal words, phrases, and extracts from a Welsh version of the Statute of Rhuddlan and ? other sources with English equivalents or definitions of the words and phrases, and pp. 269-70 miscellaneous extracts naming early, some legendary, Welsh poets, etc., and a transcript of the explicit of a copy of a version of the laws of Hywel Dda transcribed by 'Dafydd sgrifennydd i Iorwerth vab Llywelyn vab Tudur' giving the pedigree in direct line of the said Llywelyn. Pp. 273-84 (without previous covers) contain extracts from, or comments on statements in, [Theophilus Jones: A History of the County of Brecknock, vol. 1, Brecknock, 1805]. P. 285 (which may have been one of the covers of the booklet now paginated 293-340) is inscribed 'Philology - Bardism. Historical Anecdotes, &c., a few proverbs Glam. Gwasgargerdd Iolo Morganwg. Criticisms by E. Wms.', and (in the hand of Taliesin Williams) 'Pennillion Arwest. cynghanedd copied but not the pennillion (several)'. The greater part of the section is blank but pp. 292-308 contain Welsh words with notes of a varying nature thereon, poetic extracts to illustrate some of these words or quoted in connection therewith including transcripts of 'englynion' attributed to Raff ab Robert, Gwerfyl Mechain, Syr Siôn Gruffydd, and Thomas Llywelyn, a list of Welsh words which in Monmouth usage had an initial G but which in Glamorgan were used without this initial consonant, notes on stones called variously Maen Meian, Maen Gorchest, Maen Ambor, Maen Gobaith, and Gwal y Filast, seven four-line stanzas of Welsh free-metre verse by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg', further stanzas of Welsh free-metre verse, brief notes relating to mutations in Welsh compound words, etc.

Title based on contents.

Formerly known as Llanover C. 68.

Preferred citation: NLW MS 13155A.

The description is also available in the Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, Volume IV (Aberystwyth, 1971).

Published