The etymology of the names of persons, places, and things is a curious subject of inquiry. It is one of the safest guides in an attempt to distinguish the race-differences of a people whose history reaches back to an immemorial era. The names of Wales and the Welsh are comparatively of recent origin. The Welsh have always called themselves Cymru or Cymry, -Romanized into Cambria or Cambrians. This has been the generic name of the race as far back as any trace can be found of their existence. The Romans changed Gal into Gaul; the Welsh sound u as e: hence they pronounced the Romanized word Gaul as Gael.