Help for the Non-Welsh Reader

Help for the Non-Welsh Reader

These notes are intended to help the non-Welsh reader to identify the family relationships, ages and dates recorded in the Welsh language Memorial  Inscriptions that can be purchased in our shop. 

It is important to know that in the Welsh language initial consonants undergo regular changes known as mutation. Root words (nouns or adjectives) beginning with the letters c, p, t, g, b, d, m, ll, rh can be mutated, depending on their function in the sentence. For example, the Welsh word for father, which is tad, can undergo three changes depending on the preeceding word: his father becomes ei dad; my father becomes fy nhad; her father becomes ei thad.

Welsh – English dictionaries do not list mutated forms and it is therefore necessary to identify the root word from the mutated form which appears in the inscription. The following table shpould be helpful.

First letter of the root word	e	p	t	g	b	d	m	ll	rh
Mutated versions	g	b	d		f	dd	f	l	rh
Mutated versions	ngh	mh	nh	ng	m	n
Mutated versions	ch	ph	th				mh

Example

Consider the phrase: “hefyd ei phlant...”. The word “phlant” cannot be found in the dictionary, so we assume it is a mutation. Find “ph” as a mutated form in the above table, then refer to the top row (root forms) in the same column. This shows that “ph” is a mutation from “p”,  giving the root word as “plant”, the plural form of “plentyn”, which can be found in the dictionary. “Plant” means “children” and the phrase therefore means: “also her children...”

Glossary

Family Members
Baban	Baby
Brawd	Brother
Cefnder	Cousin (m)
Chwaer	Sister
Cyfnither	Counsin (f)
Gwraig	Wife
Gŵr	Husband
Mab	Son
Mam	Mother
Mam-gu	Grandmother
Merch	Daughter
Nain	Nephew
Nith	Grandmother
Plant	Niece
Plentyn	Children
Priod	Child
Tad	Spouse
Tad-cu	Grandfather
Taid	Grandfather
Wyr	Grandson
Wyres	Granddaughter

 

With affection
Annwyl blant	The beloved children
Annwyl blentyn	The beloved child
Annwyl briod	The beloved spouse
Annwyl dad	The beloved father
Annwyl fab	The beloved son
Annwyl faban	The beloved baby
Annwyl fam	The beloved mother
Annwyl ferch	The beloved daughter
Annwyl ŵr	The beloved husband
Annwyl wraig	The beloved wife

 

Possesive (Her.....)
Ei gŵr	Her husband
Ei mhab	Her son
Ei m(h)erch	Her daughter
Ei phlentyn	Her child
Ei phriod	Her spouse
Ei hannwyl blentyn	Her beloved child
Ei hannwyl briod	Her beloved spouse
Ei hannwyl fab	Her beloved son
Ei hannwyl ferch	Her beloved daughter
Ei hannwyl ŵr	Her beloved husband

 

Possesive (His.....)
Ei blentyn	His child
Ei briod	His spouse
Ei fab	His son
Ei ferch	His daughter
Ei wraig	His wife
Ei annwyl blentyn	His beloved child
Ei annwyl briod	His beloved spouse
Ei annwyl fab	His beloved son
Ei annwyl ferch	His beloved daughter
Ei annwyl wraig	His beloved wife

 

Possessive (Their.....)
Eu mab	Their son
Eu baban	Their baby
Eu merch	Their daughter
Eu plentyn	Their child
Eu hannwyl blentyn	Their beloved child
Eu hannwyl fab	Their beloved son
Eu hannwyl faban	Their beloved baby
Eu hannwyl ferch	Their beloved daughter

 

Preliminary statements
Bedd	Grave
Er cof am	In memory of
Er cof tyner am	In tender memory of
Er sechog gof am	In loving memory of
Gorweddle	The resting place
I gofio’n dyner am	In tender memory of
O dan y garreg hon	Underneath this stone
Yma y claddwyd	Here was buried
Yma y gorwedd	Here lieth

 

The months
Ionawr	January
Chwefror	February
Mawrth	March
Ebrill	April
Mai	Mai
Mehefin	June
Gorffennaf	July
Awst	August
Medi	September
Hydref	October
Tachwedd	November
Rhagfyr	December

 

Key words and phrases
Blwyddyn	Year
Corff / Corph	Body
Diwrnod	Day
Dydd	Day
Ganwyd	Born
Gynt o	Formerly of
Hefyd	Also
Hunodd yn yr Iesu	Fell asleep in Jesus
Isod	Underneath / Below
Mis	Month
Oed	Age
O’r plwyf hwn	Of this parish
Y dywededig uchod	The above named (m)
Y ddywededig uchod	The above named (f)
Yn 7 mlwydd oed	7 years old
Yr hwn a fu farw	Who died (m)
Yr hon a fu farw	Who died (f)
Uchod	Above

Note that in Welsh ch, ff, ll, rh, th are distinct alpabetic characters, and words beginning with these letters are found listed in a Welsh dictionary seperately from those beginning with c, f, l, r, t.

Fictitious example (mutated words are in bold)

Er Cof Am / JOHN / Annwyl fab WILLIAM JONES a MARY ei wraig / Yr hwn a fu farw Mawrth 3ydd 1894 / Yn 8 mlwydd oed / Hefyd  / Am y dywededig uchod / WILLIAM JONES / Yr hwn a fu farw Awst 5ed 1916 / Yn 61 mlwydd oed / Hefyd / Hugh / Mab yr uchod a laddwyd yn Ffrainc / yn y Rhyfel Mawr, Ionawr 5ed 1917 / Yn 20 mlwydd oed / Hefyd / er cof annwyl am y ddywededig uchod / MARY JONES / Yr hon a hunodd yn yr Iesu Hydref 26 1947 / 81 mlwydd oed.

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In Memory of / JOHN / The beloved son of WILLIAM JONES and MARY his wife / Who died March 3rd 1894 / Aged 8 years / Also  / Of the above named / WILLIAM JONES / Who died August 5th 1916 / Aged 61 years / Also / Hugh / Son of the above who was killed in France / in the Great War, January 5th 1917 / Aged 20 years / Also / In loving memory of the above named MARY JONES / Who fell asleep in Jesus October 26th 1947 / Aged 81 years.