Children's songs -- United States; Games with music
[125] These examples of the "Anglo-Cymric score" (see page 196) were
obtained, No. 15 from Mrs. Ellis Allen of West Newton, now ninety years
of age, who was born at Scituate, Mass., where she learned the formula;
and No. 16 of her daughter, who learned it from an Indian woman, _Mary
Wolsomog_, of Natick. Though mother and daughter, neither had ever
heard the other's version of the score. To illustrate the relation of
this score with Welsh numerals, we add two examples from Mr. Ellis's
paper ("reprinted for private circulation from the Transactions of
the Philological Society for 1877-8-9," pp. 316-372), selected from
his fifty-three versions; the first is from England, the second from
Ireland:
1. aina.
2. peina.
3. para.
4. peddera.
5. pimp.
6. ithy.
7. mithy.
8. owera.
9. lowera.
10. dig.
11. ain-a-dig.
12. pein-a-dig.
13. par-a-dig.
14. pedder-a-dig.
15. bumfit.
16. ain-a-bumfit.
17. pein-a-bumfit.
18. par-a-bumfit.
19. pedder-a-bumfit.
20. giggy.
1. eina.
2. mina.
3. pera.
4. peppera.
5. pinn.
6. chester.
7. nester.
8. nera.
9. dickera.
10. nin.
11. eina dickera.
12. mina dickera.
13. pera dickera.
14. peppera dickera.
15. pumpi.
16. eina pumpi.
17. mina pumpi.
18. pera pumpi.
19. peppera pumpi.
20. ticket.
The modern Welsh numerals, as given by Mr. Ellis:
1. un.
2. dau.
3. tri.
4. pedwar.
5. pump.
6. chwech.
7. saith.
8. wyth.
9. nau.
10. deg.
11. un ar deg.
12. deuddeg.
13. tri ar deg.
14. pedwar ar deg.
15. pymtheg.
16. un ar bymtheg.
17. dau ar bymtheg.
18. tri ar bymtheg.
19. pedwar ar bymtheg.
20. ugain.
The numbers 4, 5, 15, and combinations 1+15, 2+15, 3+15, 4+15, seem to
make the connection unmistakable; but 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9 appear to have
been arbitrarily affected by rhyme and alliteration.
[126] This verse is used as a counting rhyme by children in the state
mentioned.
XV.
_MYTHOLOGY._
In the olde dayes of the Kyng Arthour,
Of which that Britouns speken gret honour,
Al was this land fulfilled of fayrye.
_The Wife of Baths Tale._
No. 150.
_London Bridge._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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