Note 249 — Chapter IV · ETHNOLOGY OF BRITAIN.

The names of the primary colours which enter into the composition both of names, persons, and places will illustrate this:—

Gaelic. Welsh.

Ban Finn } white Cán Gwyn } white

Breac Brit } speckled Brych Brith } speckled

Ciar Dubh } black Du black

Glas green Glas green, blue

Gorm blue Gwrm brown

Liath grey Llwyd gray

Dearg Ruadh } red Coch Rhudd } red

Here some are so alike as to afford no test, others again are different from each other; but those in which the phonetic differences occur—as Finn, Gwyn; Ban, Cán—afford at once a test of the dialect. Again, the features of the face and form enter both into epithets and names of places. We may take a few—

Gaelic. Welsh.

Ceann head Pen head

Claggan skull Clopen skull

Cluas ear Cluit, Clyw ear

Bronn breast Bron breast

Falt hair Gwallt hair

Sron nose Trwyn nose

Drum Cul } back Cefn Trwm Cil } back

Lamh hand Llaw hand

Troidh foot Troed foot

Here, also, some are so alike it would be impossible to distinguish the dialect, but Ceann and Pen, Claggan and Clopen, Falt and Gwallt, Sron and Trwyn, afford at once a criterion. So also in proper names, where the phonetic differences are equally apparent.