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There are actually two different sounds represented by the spelling "th" in English.
First you have the breathier sound found in words like thin, bath, third, and thud.
Then you have the less breathy sound found in then, bathe, them, and thus.
In Welsh, the spelling "th" only represents the first sound. The spelling "dd" represents the second sound.
So in Welsh, Bleddyn and Blethin would not be said the same, because in the first you use the sound found in "bathe", and in the second you use the sound found in "bath".
First you have the breathier sound found in words like thin, bath, third, and thud.
Then you have the less breathy sound found in then, bathe, them, and thus.
In Welsh, the spelling "th" only represents the first sound. The spelling "dd" represents the second sound.
So in Welsh, Bleddyn and Blethin would not be said the same, because in the first you use the sound found in "bathe", and in the second you use the sound found in "bath".
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The Irish do it too.
There is some residual, etymogical hold over in Irish as well.
My mother, born and raised in Cork County still pronounces double d's as "th" (as in bathe).
I'm used to it. But imagine my friend's surprise when my mother told her she had "a 'lather' in her stocking." Huh? What she meant was that she had a run (slang: a ladder) in her pantyhose.
Just an interesting side note.
There is some residual, etymogical hold over in Irish as well.
My mother, born and raised in Cork County still pronounces double d's as "th" (as in bathe).
I'm used to it. But imagine my friend's surprise when my mother told her she had "a 'lather' in her stocking." Huh? What she meant was that she had a run (slang: a ladder) in her pantyhose.
Just an interesting side note.
This message was edited 2/4/2009, 5:20 PM
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It's helpful to say the words "thy" and "thigh" in which the only difference in pronunciation is the "th" sound.
In Bleddyn, the "dd" is the sound from "thy" or "bathe." In Bleith, the "th" is the sound from "thigh" or "bath"
In Bleddyn, the "dd" is the sound from "thy" or "bathe." In Bleith, the "th" is the sound from "thigh" or "bath"
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