[157] Cf. Cor., II. i. 217; Rich. II., III. iv. 13; 1 Hen. VI., I. i. 82.

[158] Skeat, Principles of English Etymology, p. 468.

[159] See Mätzner’s Fr. Gr., p. 176, for more examples.

[160] It is altogether unimportant that, in the case of such a sentence as the one which we took for our example, the ultimate result, as far as the understanding of the meaning goes, makes practically very little, if any, difference. Thus, we teach a child that three times five and five times three are the same, because the ultimate result of bringing together three fives or five groups of three each is identical. Still, no one will deny that, for correct conception of the operation, there is an important difference between—

..... ..... ..... and— ... ... ... ... ...

or maintain that the understanding of this difference is of no importance for the theory. Nay, even in practical life there would be a great difference between going thrice, e.g., to fetch five apples at a time, and making five journeys for three apples each time. Yet every one admits that 3 × 5 = 5 × 3 is a ‘truth’ generally quite ‘true enough.’

[161] Is rather than am here, to symbolise the sense of I as predicate.

[162] It would be worth investigating—a question which only the most extensive statistical collection of earlier examples of this construction could decide—whether the very extensive use of this construction in English is not due to, or has not been at least promoted by, the existence of the so-called pronominal prepositions in Welsh, and their construction. The personal pronouns are used in Welsh as suffixes to the prepositions: e.g., prep. at = to; ataf, ‘to me;’ atat, ‘to thee;’ ato, ‘to him;’ ati, ‘to her;’ atom, ‘to us;’ atoch, ‘to you;’ atynt, ‘to them;’ imi, ‘to me;’ iti, ‘to thee;’ iddo, ‘to him;’ iddi, ‘to her;’ ini, ‘to us;’ ichwi, ‘to you;’ iddynt, ‘to them;’ etc. (Rowland’s Welsh Grammar, §§ 374-381). These forms were used especially in relative clauses; e.g., instead of— Y cyfaill at yr hwn yr afonais lythyr, The friend to whom I-sent letter, we might say more elegantly— Y cyfaill yr hwn yr afonais lythyr ato. The friend whom I sent letter to (him). Similarly— Efe yw’r gwr yr ysgrifenaist ato. He is the man thou wrotest to (him). Rhoddwch i’r hwn y cymmerasoch oddi arno. Give to whom you took from (him).

Even the present occasional (and vulgar) repetition of the pronoun is found:—

Ar yr hwn y gwelwch yr ysbryd yn disgyn ac yn On whom you see the spirit (in) descending and (in)