MA"WOAN CROSS, MENEAGE. 281 



the genitive (uis) end in us. Amongst them were names ending 

 in o, taken from the Greek. As a rule these last were feminine, 

 whereas the names on this stone should be masculine. 



We therefore can hardly refer Genaius to Geuaio, but it 

 may be the genitive of Genaius. 



Perhaps the name was regarded as indeclinable, and so was 

 allowed to stand as a genitive without alteration of termination, 

 but this is not probable. 



The most likely solution of the difficulty is that the scribe 

 blmidered in the construction of his Latin sentence. 



Hiibner inclines to this last view, and quotes the legend 

 before us as one of several faulty Latin inscriptions. 



He sliews^' that (by a barbarism) names have been written 

 in the nominative when they should have been in the genitive. 



In Brecknockshire, Tegernacus occurs instead of Tegernaci ; 

 at Bowden in Devon, V[ett]aius is found instead of V[ett]aii ; 

 at Mawgan in Cornwall, Genaius seems to be put for Genaii. 



This last is the very case we are considering. 



He mentions also an inscription near Brecon in which fili 

 is evidently an abbreviation. 



Quoting a legend in Cardiganshire (" Corbalengi jacit 

 Ordous"), he discusses whether or not the last word should be 

 regarded as " olim gentis nomen ; " and this suggests that an 

 enquiry might be made into the signification of Genaius ; but 

 having stated this, we have pursued the grammatical investigation 

 far enough, and must proceed next to consider the style of the 

 Mawgan characters. 



The letters, as might be expected, agree with an age in 

 which it is likely that a cross would have been erected. Instead 



*Hubner wi'ites to this effect : — Barbara vero interdum aut patris nomen pro 

 genetivi nominativi formam habct. scilicet in his : — 



" Catacus hie jacit filius Tegernaofs," (No. 35) ; 

 ant defuncti genetivo patris nominative effei-tur, ut in : — 



" Cnegumi fili Genaiws," (No. 5) ; 

 et in :— 



'^ Valci fili V[ett]aii(s," (No. 30) ; 

 aut (lenique ad nominativum defuucti " fili " genetivus additur, ut in mutilo 

 hoc ; — 



"[ ] pugniacio [fi]li Vendoni," (No. 49). 



(Inscript. Brit : Christianfe, pp. XI, 2, &c). 



