Here's one I met early in my so-called Welsh Learning Experience .... or welly for short.
'co ..... yes , that's right ....... 'co
so, er, what does that mean then ? Well, it's hard to tell isn't it! The usual response of running to the dictionary will probably not work because, you see, you don't know how the blasted thing starts !
Here's some words you might try ...
Llawco
Fregyrco
Prawddco
Herco
Ygrymco
Aco
Eco
Ico
Oco
Uco
Wco
Yco
Llanco
Llagrymyffrgregysco
Well, we could go on all night with that couldn't we!
Now in this particular, almost unique case, I was a jammy dodger, because I had Gareth King's invaluable Modern Welsh Dictionary ... and stap me vitals, 'co is in it !
'co adverb, (South)
= there ; over there
'co fe ! = there it is.
He also helpfully lists 'na .
But the truth is, readers, that the vast majority of these "frontal apostrophe" jobs are just a route to insanity !
Here's a little list of some that I have come across ...
'y
'w as in i'w
'tha
'sgwn as in 'sgwn i
'te
'ch
'da
'nôl
'di
'u
'run
'to
'set
'se
'chan
'dd as in o'dd
'ny
'nala
'mwyta
'tebol
'ngwas as in 'ngwas i
'nal
'lly
'micini
'runig
'guddiad
'rwsnos
'cw
'nghefn
'rar
'raeth
'mhlant
'amsar as in f'amsar
'raeth
'laen
'does
'so
'mlingo
'nwrn as in 'nwrn i
'ng ŵr
'mod
'nghnocio
'rioed
'chwaith
...and so it goes on, on and on and on... I know what quite a few of them mean, some of them are moderately obvious, but come on folks, why? Why why why?
Here's how The Waste Land would go, using the Welsh method...
'ril is 'he 'llest 'oth
'ding 'ilacs out 'f 'he dead 'd,
'xing 'mory 'd 'ire, 'ring 'll 'ots 'th 'ng 'in.
... and a bit further along, we will be regaled with ...
'hat 're the 'ots 'hat 'utch, 'hat 'ranches 'ow out 'f 'his 'tony 'bish ?
Yes, it's a great read isn't it. And who is Tony Bish anyway, with his
hat ranches?
So, good luck with that little list, you lucky lot, whilst I select a disc to slip onto the gramophone ... just lowering the needle here ... it's Hulusi by Jen Jeniro ...
And here's another ... Pam mae'n enwi y gân Hulusi ?