Sir Ifor Williams (April 16, 1881 - November 4, 1965) was a Welsh scholar who laid the foundations for the academic study of Old Welsh, particularly early Welsh poetry. April 16 is the 106th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (107th in leap years). ... 1881 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... November 4 is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 57 days remaining. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ...

Ifor Williams was born at Pendinas, Tregarth near Bangor, the son of John Williams, a quarryman, and his wife Jane. His maternal grandfather, Hugh Derfel Hughes, was a noted local historian who wrote a well-regarded book on the history of the area. He went to Friar's School, Bangor, in 1894 but had only been there for just over a year when he suffered a serious accident. This left him with back injuries that made him bedridden for several years. Bangor, in Gwynedd, North Wales, UK, is one of the smallest cities in the United Kingdom. ... 1894 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Having recovered, he attended Clynnog School in 1901 and in 1902 won a scholarship to the University of Wales Bangor. In 1905 he graduated with honours in Greek, then in 1906 in Welsh. He spent the 1906-07 academic year at the Department of Welsh working for his M.A. degree and assisting Sir John Morris-Jones, the Professor of Welsh, before being appointed an assistant lecturer. In 1920 a Chair of Welsh Literature was specially created for him, which he held until Sir John Morris-Jones died in 1929, when he became Professor of Welsh Language and Literature. 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1902 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The University of Wales, Bangor (UWB) is a constituent institution of the University of Wales based in the small city of Bangor in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales, United Kingdom. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1906 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... Sir John Morris-Jones (1864 - 1929) was a Welsh grammarian and poet. ... 1920 (MCMXX) is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Ifor Williams had a life-long interest in Welsh place-names, and was probably the first to apply rigorous academic methods to this field. He published Enwau Lleoedd ("Place Names") in 1945 which is still of great value today. Many of his early publications were written in order to provide teaching material and included versions with detailed notes of a number of old Welsh tales, notably the Mabinogi in 1930. He also produced books giving the text with notes of the works of a number of mediaeval poets such as Dafydd ap Gwilym and others in 1914 and Iolo Goch in 1925 with colleagues. Mabinogi is a network game released by Nexon. ... Dafydd ap Gwilym (ca. ... 1914 (MCMXIV) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ...

His main field of study however was Old Welsh and the earliest Welsh Poetry. He produced Canu Llywarch Hen in 1935 covering the poetry associated with Llywarch the Old, then in 1938 possibly his most important work, Canu Aneirin, the text with notes of the Gododdin attributed to the 6th century poet Aneirin. For the first time the original text was distinguished from later additions and made comprehensible with notes, and this work has provided the foundation for all subsequent work on this poetry. Canu Taliesin in 1960 covered the work of the other 6th century poet Taliesin. He also published works on later Welsh poetry such as the 10th century Armes Prydain. á 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Y Gododdin (The Gododdin), attributed to the 7th century poet Aneirin, is a series of 99 elegies to the men of the kingdom of Gododdin in north-eastern Britain who fell in the battle of Catraeth, thought to be Catterick in North Yorkshire, against the Angles, ca. ... This Buddhist stela from China, Northern Wei period, was built in the early 6th century. ... Aneirin, Aneurin or Neirin mab Dwywei (c. ... For the studio established by Frank Lloyd Wright, see Taliesin (studio) Taliesin or Taliessin (c. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. ...

Williams edited the Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies from 1937 to 1948. He was also an excellent speaker on the radio, and selections of his radio lectures were published in three books. He retired in 1947 and was knighted the same year. In 1949 the University of Wales awarded him the honorary degree of Ll.D.. He lived in retirement in Menai Bridge and died in 1965. 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday. ... The University of Wales, or Prifysgol Cymru in Welsh, is a federal university founded in 1893. ... Menai Bridge (Welsh: Porthaethwy) is a town on Anglesey, Wales. ...

References

• Meic Stephens A companion to the literature of Wales (University of Wales Press)

External links

• photograph