A In Britishe or Walshe in euery worde hath the true pronunciation of A in latine . And it is neuer sounded like the diphthonge au , as the Frenche men sound it commynge before m. or . n . in their tonge , nor so fully in the mouth as the Germaines sounde it in this worde Magen : Neyther yet as it is pronounced in Englishe , whan it commeth before ge , ll. sh . tch : For in these wordes and suche other in englyshe , Domage , heritage , language , ashe , lashe , watch , calme , call (a) is thought to decline towarde the sounde of these dipthonges ai , au , and the wordes to be reade in thys wise , domaige , heritaige , languaige , aishe , waitche , caul , caulme . But as I said before , a. in walsh hath alwaies but one sound what so euer letter it folowe or go before , as in these wordes ap , cap. whyche haue the same pronunciation & signification in both the tonges .

Muche lesse hathe a , suche varietie in Walshe , as hath Aleph in Hebrue ( which alone the points altered ) hath the sounde of euery vowell . Howbeit that composition , deriuation , and the plurell numbre , do ofte times in the commune walshe speache chaunge a , for e. as in these wordes , vnweith , seithfed , ebestyl . Neuertheles e. then succeadeth , and is also written in the stede of a. so that the Reader shall neuer be troubled therewyth .

B , In Walshe is vniuersallye reade and pronounced as it is in Englyshe . Albeit whan a word begynneth wyth b , and is ioyned with moe wordes commyng in a reason , the phrase and the maner of the Walshe speache ( muche lyke after the Hebrues idiome ) shall alter the sounde of that b. So do these walshe wordes , cuuit , cuuicul , vicses whych be deriued of cubitus , cubiculum , bisextus , into the sounde of the Hebrue letter that they call Beth not daggessed , or of the Greke Veta , eyther els of v. beynge consonant in latine or Englysh , as thus . Where as b. in thys walshe worde bys a fynger , is the primitiue ( or if I shold borow the Hebrue terme ) the radicall letter , whyche commynge in the contexte of a reason shall not than be called b. but v. as in this texte : I vys : his finger . And sometime b. shal be turned into m , as for an ensample . vy mys : my fynger . And yet for all the alteration of this letter b , and of diuerse other ( as ye shall perceiue hereafter ) whyche by their nature be chaungeable one for an other , it shal nothynge let nor hynder anye man , from the true and propre readinge of the letters so altered .

For as sone as the ydiome or proprietie of the tong receyueth one letter for an other , the radicall is omitted and left away : and the accessorie or the letter that commeth in stede of the radicall , is forthwyth wrytten and so pronounced after his owne nature & power as it is playne inoughe , by the former exemple .

Prouided alwayes that such transmutation of letters in speakinge ( for therin consisteth all the difficultie ) is mooste diligentlye to be marked , obserued , ☜ and taken hede vnto , of him that shall delite to speake walshe aryghte .

G In euery worde in Walshe soundeth as the Hebrue Gymel : or g. in Doutche , or as g. in Englishe soundeth before a o u. And marcke well that g. neuer soundeth in Walshe as it doeth in englishe in these wordes , George , gynger . G , is but verye seldon turned into ch. Gwedy Gwad . Glas

G , also in walshe sometyme ( whan it cometh in a reason ) shall be turned into ch , and sometyme elided or lefte cleane out of the word as thus : a chwedy hynny . iawn ne wad : koch ne las : and not koch ne glas .

And otherwhile wordes compounded shall put awaye g , as these do , serloyw , dulas : whose symple be these : ser , gloyw : du glas .

H , In euerye worde that it is wrytten in , in Walshe , hathe hys aspiration in speakinge also , and is reade , euen as in these wordes of Englishe , hard , heard , hart , hurt : And therfore where so euer h , is wrytten in walshe , lette it be reade wyth all , and not holden styll , as it is done in Frenche and Englyshe in suche wordes as be deriued oute of latine as these , honest , habitation , humble habite . &c. Except whan h , is settled betwene two vowels in walshe wordes : for than it forceth not greatlye whether h , be sounded or not , as in these words that folowe : brenhin , kyhyr , mehein , gweheu , heheu , gwehydd , gohir . &c.

I , In Walshe hath the mere pronunciation of i , in latine , as learned men in our tyme vse to sounde it , & not as they that with their corrupt pronunciation make a dipthong of it , saying : veidei , teibei , for vidi , tibi . But loke howe i , soundeth in Englyshe in these wordes : singing , ringing , drinking , winkinge , nighe , sighe , might , right .

So thēi , in euery syllabe in walsh hath euen the same sounde as e , hath in Englysh in these woordes : we , se three , bee . And i , is neuer sounded so broade in walshe as it is in this English word * * Ego I. And beside that i , is neuer consonant in walsh , but euer remaining a vowell , as it doeth in the Germayne tong , or as iota in the Greke . And bicause they that haue not tasted of the preceptes of Grammer do not lightly vnderstand what thys terme consonant meaneth : I wyll speake herein as playne as I can , for to induce them to vnderstand my meanynge .

Whan i , is consonant . Therfore whan we saye in spellynge m , a , ma : i , e , ie , st , e , ste , maieste : ( or ) I , e , Ie , s , u , s , sus , Iesus : nowe in these two wordes , maieste and Iesus : i , is consonant . Whan i , is a vowell . But whan I spel on thys wyse : i , per se , i , o-rk , ork , and wyth doynge them togyther , read iork : than i , is not called consonant , but hath the name of a vowell .

And therefore if ye liste to reade ryghtlye Walshe wordes in whom i , is wrytten , an other vowell immediately folowyng ( for therin els is there no hynderaunce for the straunge reader ) than must you harken ( howe i , I for Y. I in thys word iye , ( oculus ) is now communelye written & read as it is in walshe . which , I wryte for y ) is sounded in these englishe wordes : i-ane , i-arde , i-arne , ielde , i ▪ elk , i-elle , ielow , iere , iok , iong , iougth , Iorke , iou : And though these wordes be written here now wyth i , in the first letter of euery one , yet it is ment that you should read them as the i , were y , and as they had be wrytten on on thys fashyon : yane , yarde , yelde , yelke , yell , yelow , yere , yok , yong , yougth yorke , you .

Nowe I truste that the dullest wytted chyld that neuer reade but two lynes , perceaueth so familiar a rudimente .

K , Foloweth the rule of c , in euerye poynte , and therefore loke for the effecte of k , where it is treated of the letter c.

L , Hath none other difference in sound in walsh than in Englysh . And note that it nether causeth a , nor o , whan they come before it , to sounde anye more fullier in the mouthe , than they do els sounde , commyng before any other letter . And for the playner vnderstandynge thereof , loke in the rules that entreate of the sounde of a , and o.

And marcke whan soeuer ye se l , to be the fyrste letter of a worde , that eyther the same worde cometh in construction , eyther els the worde is of an other language , and but vsurped in walshe .

M , In Walsh hath such a sounde as ye heare it haue in English or latine : but yet it is one of the letters that be chaungeable in construction as thus : mwy , moo : llai ne vwy , lesse or more , mwyvwy , more ( and ) more .

N , Is none otherwise sounded in Walsh than in Englishe : but sometyme ( after the latyne maner ) whan it commeth before b , or p , in composition , it is than turned into m , as ymblaen , whiche is compounded of yn and blaen : amparch , of an and parch , amp wyll , of an and pwyll .

O , In Walshe is sounded accordynge to the ryght soundynge of it in latine : eyther els as the sounde of o , is in these Englishe wordes : a doo , a roo , a too : and o , neuer soundeth in Walshe as it doeth in these wordes of Englishe : to do , two . But marke that o , in Walshe goynge before l , ll , soundeth nothynge more boystouse , that is to saye , that it inclineth to the sounde of the dipthonge ou ( as it doeth in Englyshe ) no more than if it hadde gone be fore anye other letter .

P , In Walshe differeth not from the Englysh sounde of p : but p commyng in construction foloweth the rules of the Hebrue phe : saue somtime it is turned into b , as thus : pedwar bump , for pump . And sometyme p , in composition is chaunged also into b , as whan we say ymbell for ympell . And one whyle it is left out of the compound wordes : as whan these wordes : kymell , kymorth , be written for kympell , kymporth .

And an other whyle our tonge geueth vs to sound it , as it were an h , as whan we saye : ymhle , ymhlwy , ymhlas , for ymple , ymplwy , ymplas .

Q , Is not receiued among the numbre of the letters in walshe as yet , but k supplyeth his rowme , & vsurpeth his office in euery place . And the Greks are fayne to practice the same feacte , as ye may se it done . Luc. ii . where Kyriniou , is wryten for Quirino .

R , Is sounded alike in Walshe and Englyshe , but r , in walshe for the mooste parte is pronounced wyth aspiration , especiallye beynge the fyrste letter of the worde . And for the aspiration h , they communely put to an other r , as they playe by d , and l , euen thus : rrwygwyd , rrodres , rringill , Rufain : But the maner of some is to write one greate captall R , ( whan it is the firste letter of a word ) for the lesser double rr . Also r , serueth the turn that n , doeth in Englishe , that is to wytte , to be putte betwene vowels metynge togyther in two sondrye wordes , for to stoppe the vncomely gapyng in speach as ye shall perceyue by these wordes : y-r awr : a-n houre .

T , Lykewyse hath but one sounde , and that is as the latines sounde it in these wordes : atat tute , tegit : Neyther do I meane that t , in Walshe is sounded at anye tyme like th , as some barbarous lispers do , who depraue the true latine pronunciation , readynge Amath , for amat , dederith for dederit . &c.

Howbeit marke well thys exception , that t , is neuer reade like c , thorowout the walshe tonge , as it is communely read of Englishe men in latine verbales endinge in tio , as pronunciatio , electio , subiectio . &c.

Marke also , that it is the nature of t , to be turned into d , and sometyme into th , and some other tyme it is so lyghtly spoken , that the t , is quite lefte awaye , and there remayneth but the h , in stede of the t. But thys is to be vnderstand when t , is the first letter of a word set in constrction to be construed or builte togither on thys fashion : Na thric ynhy dwy ne dair .

For before they be hewed , squared , and ioyned togyther wyth theyr tenantes and mortesses , they lye in rude and vndressed timbre after this maner of sort : Na tryc ynty dwy ne tair . The absolute wordes . Furthermore t , in deriuation is left out of the deriued words , that they might sounde more pleasaunte to the eare , as ye maye take these for an example : chwano● of chwant : gwnoc of gwynt : monweni of monwent : henieu of haint . &c.

Th , hath the semblable and lyke sounde in Walsh as it hath in Englyshe in these wordes : thorowe , thycke , and thynne : but it is neuer so lythlye spoken , as it is communly sounded in these other wordes : that , thou thine , this .

Moreouer th , wrytten for the fyrste letter of anye worde , sheweth the same word to be than in construction . For there is no walshe worde standinge absolutelye that hath th , for his fyrste letter but t , is hys natiue and originall letter , for the whyche in construction th , is communely vsed . Neither yet do we vse to write th , in anye worde , and to reade the same as t , or d , as it is communely done in these englysh wordes : Thomas , throne , threasure , Thauie sinne : whych be moste vniuersallye spoken after thys sorte : Thauies inne . Tomas , trone , treasure , Dauies inne .

X , Is not founde as yet in the Walsh Alphabet : for the walsh speach hath no nede of his office : bicause that suche walshe wordes as be deducted of the Latine , turne their x , into s , as do these : crws , nos , estestenna , escommuna , estran , bicses , whiche come of Crux , nox , extendo , excommunico , extraneus bisextus .

Y , Is sounded in Walsh as it is these English words : yn , synne , ys , thynne , wynne . Nether yet , as it is sounded of the commune people in any of these two words folowyng : wyde , wynge . Also y , beynge a woorde counteruayleth the signification of ( the ) in English : and of Le , in French , or of the articles Ha , Ho , in Hebrue & Greke , as thus : y dyn , whose propre signification in Englyshe is not communely vsed , excepte a man shoulde say , the person : but Le homme , shall well declare it to any that shal be skilled in the French.

Z , In Walshe is vnknowne in so much that it was neuer placed in anye walshe worde hytherto : Neither neaded I once to speake of it but bycause I woulde put the reader vtterly oute of doubte in this behalfe .