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24 29 (≡ anffurf) ‘disfigurement’, yn braf 53 (≡ yn braff) ‘strong’, groft do. 73 ‘croft’.

(3) In Mn. W. ff and ph are used, the latter generally as a mutation of p only; but G.R. and J.D.R. use ph exclusively.

Many modern writers use ph in all positions where they perceive that it is derived from p, as in corph < Lat. corpus, writing ff where it does not appear to them to be so derived, as in cyff ‘stem, trunk’, ffon ‘stick’. It is mostly a distinction without a difference: cyff comes from Lat. cippus, and ffon is from Pr. Kelt. *spond&#8209;, § 96 iv (1). The attempted differentiation is a useless one; and as the etymology of too many words is still uncertain, it cannot be carried out. It is better, therefore, to write ff always where the sound is immutable, and ph only as a conscious mutation of initial p; thus corff, cyff, ffon; chwe phunt, chwephunt ‘£6’, gwragedd a phlant ‘women and children’, blith draphlith ‘higgledy-piggledy’.

ii. (1) The sound th (þ) is represented in O. W. by th, as brith ‘variegated’; by d, as papedpinnac  ≡ pa beth bynnag ‘whatsoever’; by t after r, as gurt  ≡ gwrth, Mn. W. wrth ‘against’; and by þ, as papeþ ≡ pa beth ‘what’.

(2) In Ml. W. the sound is generally written th, though in some early ., as, sometimes t (after r) as kemyrt i 4 ≡ kỿmɥrth ‘took’. In Mn. W. it is always written th.

iii. (1) The sound ch (χ) is written ch in O. W., as bichan. ≡ bỿchan ‘little’. Once we have gch, in iurgchell ‘fawn’, Mn. W. i̯ỿrchell.

(2) The sound is written ch consistently in Ml. and Mn. W., and there seem to be no variations to note.

i. The sounds mh, nh, and ngh were written mp, nt, and nc in O. W.; and mp, nt and nc, ngk, or gk in Ml. W. These combinations continued to be written throughout the Ml. period, though the modern signs appear as early as or earlier; see § 107.