ỿ goes back to the O. W. period. That O. W. i represented not only the clear ɥ but also the obscure ỿ is shown by such forms as cimadas (= cỿfaddas) m.c. Here cyf- comes from *kom‑; the ỿ results from the indistinct pronunciation of o, § 65 iv (2), and was never sounded ɥ; hence the written i must have meant ỿ. See also § 40 iii (2). In Ml. mss. generally, as in Mn. W., no distinction is made between ɥ and ỿ. But in some parts of b.ch., e stands for ỿ, and y for ɥ regularly; thus Ylety yu ety muyhaf ene tref akemeruedaf ac y kyd ac ef erey auenno or teylu, a.l. i 12 ≡ ɥ letɥ ɥw ỿ tɥ mwɥhaf ỿnỿ dref a chỿmherfeẟaf, ag ɥ gɥd ag ef ỿ r͑ei a vỿnno o'r teilu, 'His lodging is the largest and most central house in the town, and with him such as he may please of the household.' The scribe's observance of the rule is remarkable; and though there are many slips due to mechanical copying, his spelling in some cases helps to decide the sound in obsolete forms.
iv. (i) In Early Ml. W. ɥ and ỿ were probably nearer e than at present. If we assume the line a—ɥ more inclined towards the line a—i in the diagram p. 11 above, it will be seen at a glance not only why both were written e at that time, but why the b.ch. scribe uses y to represent both i and ɥ, and e to represent both e and ỿ.
(2) The sounds ɥ and ỿ in these forward positions were less stable, being not merely felt to be near enough to e to be represented by e in writing, but also liable to be confused with e in speech. Some examples of this confusion survived, and are met with in the later language: (α) Interchange of ỿ and e: Mỿrddin, Merddin D.G. 471; tỿmestl, temestl G. 153; ỿstɥn f. 24, estɥn; cỿbỿddiaeth, a chebỿẟẏaeth Ỻ.a. 144; ẏ bellỿnnic Ỻ.a. 126, 146, pellennig; ketỿmdeith, cỿdỿmaith; ỿnnill, ennill; cỿnfigen, cenfigen; Tâl-ỿ-boli̯on m.a. i 315a, explained as tâl ebolẏon w.m. 45; Pen-e´-goes for *Pen-ỿ´-goes, see § 46 ii (3).—(β) Interchange of ɥ and e: velle Ỻ.a. 148 for fellɥ; Late Mn. W. wele 'behold' for (a) welɥ 'dost thou see?' § 173 iii (3); Mercher for Merchɥr b.a. 17, b.b. 48, see § 69 v; hwdɥ c.m. 31, hwde r.m. 173; mɥwn, mewn; Llɥɥn, Lleɥn. Dial. edrech for edrych, ‑ech for ‑ɥch 2nd sg. pres. subj. § 176 iv.—(γ) In Ml. W. ɥ hun 'himself, herself' is written e hun, the e modification being preferred owing to the difficulty of sounding unrounded ɥ and rounded ü in consecutive syllables, cf. § 77 viii. Dissimilation also occurs in e Iwerẟon w.m. 59 for ɥ Iwerẟon. Similarly te|ɥrn for *tɥ|ɥrn § 103 ii (1); diell for di-hyll § 146 ii (2).
In Breton *y has generally become e; thus nevez = W. newydd; pemp = W. pɥmp; kevrann = W. kyvran; ened = W. ỿnɥd.
(3) ỿ before a nasal tended to be lowered towards a, and is sometimes written a in the b.ch., as cantaf a.l. i 84 for cỿntaf; kannal, do. 154 for kỿnnal; kafreiht do. 130 for kỿṽreith. Hence ỿ and a interchange before a nasal: Yngharad, Angharad; ymherawdr, amherawdr; ỿmddifad, amddifad; canhorthwy, cỿnhorthwy; mỿnach, manach, etc.
Unaccented a is sometimes weakened to ỿ in the dialects, but
