Lectures on Welsh Philology

Tracing the origins and evolution of the Welsh language, these lectures were first delivered at Aberystwyth College in 1874, and published in 1877. Throughout these chapters, Rhys takes a look at the Celtic and, ultimately, Indo-European heritage of the Welsh language, details the evidence for a certain amount of Irish influence on the development of Early Welsh, as well as the development of the Welsh alphabet. Drawing on the earliest evidence on ogam stones as well as Wales’ earliest poets and authors, Rhys’s comprehensive and — at the time — cutting edge approach has arguably paved the way for linguists since his heyday.