Parry-Williams T.H. The English element in Welsh: A study of English loan-words in Welsh

London: Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion, 1923. — 278 p.From Author's Preface:A few words of explanation are required : —As will be observed, I have endeavoured to deal with the borrowed words only. No attempt has been made to discuss the influence of English syntax, or any other aspect of speech, on that of Welsh. I have confined my attention to words and the sounds that constitute them. The semantic aspect of the study, which is interesting in many ways, has, I am afraid, received inadequate attention.The older borrowings have been given a more prominent place than the newer ones. Perhaps wrongly. Changes are perceptible even at the present day, as every man speaks to-day differently from the way he spoke yesterday.I have not tried to discuss the process of borrowing from a psychological, historical, nationalistic, or any other such point of view. I might here, however, quote Jespersen's remarks in his Language : " Loan-words always show a superiority of the nation from whose language they are borrowed, though the superiority may be of many different kinds" (p. 209). "When a nation has once got into the habit of borrowing words, people will often use foreign words where it would have been perfectly possible to express their ideas by means of native speech-material " (p. 210). On the general question, reference may be made to the chapter entitled " Contact et melanges des langues," of Vendryes's Le Langage (Paris, 1921, pp. 330-348).The "settlers" and the "corpses" have been included among the examples ; but English words and phrases used in a semi- jocular manner by some writers have been omitted. Examples of such are to be found in Llanover MS. B5 (i6th c), p. 64.The reference to the dialects of " N. Wales " and " S. Wales " is only very roughly accurate, as every Welshman knows. But I have used this rough designation because little reliable information is available on the exact delimitation of the Welsh dialects.The lists of words cited as examples are, I trust, representative. A full collection of all references and examples from MSS., printed books, and the spoken language would entail years of hard work.I have referred elsewhere to the difficulty connected with possible Anglo-French borrowings.In conclusion, I may be allowed here to refer to works dealing with the Welsh element (not necessarily loan-words) in English : (a) Keltisches Worigut im Englischen...von Max Forster. Halle (Saale), Max Niemeyer, 1921. (b) De oudste Keltische en Angelsaksische. A. G. van Hamcl. Middelburg, 1911. (c) There is an interesting explanation of English and Welsh place-names in The Place-Names of England and Wales, by the Rev. James B. Johnson, M.A., B.D. London, 1915.