handbook of the origin of place-names in wales and monmouthshire

Llwyn in its primary' sense means a bush, but it is frequently used to denote a grove.Llys originally meant a royal court, a palace. Llysdin, a city where a prince's court was kept, but it is now thecommon appellation for a court.Maenor originally meant a division of land marked by stones, from maen, a stone ; hence it became to signifya district, a manor. The maen-hir, long-stone monument, is considered by Professor Rhys to be as old as thecromlech, but not so imposing and costly.Crots-faen. (See Croes).Maes, an open field, in contradistinction to cat, an enclosed field. It is sometimes used as a military termsignifying a battle-field. Cad at faes is a pitched battle, and colli y maes is to lose the battle. In the majority ofnames where this component occurs we may fairly infer that a battle has been fought there.Mai means an open, beautiful plain. It is also the Welsh for May, the month when nature induces one to goout to the open fields to view her gems of beauty.Moel when used as a substantive signifies a bald, conical hill. Dynpenfoel, a bald-headed man. In oldentimes it was used as a surname. Hywel Foel, Howell, the bald-headed. It is derived by some from the Celticroot mull y a bald head. Moylisker (Westmoreland) is a corrupted form of Moel-esgair, bare ridge. Malvern issupposed to be a contraction of Moel-y-fartt, the hill of judgment. In Ireland we find it corrupted to moyle:Kilmoyle, bald church ; Dinmoyle, bald fort.Mynydd is the popular Welsh word for mountain, from mwn, what rises considerably above the surface of thesurrounding land. Myn'd t fynydd or fyny means going upwards.Nant in its primary sense signified a ravine, a dingle ; but now it is mostly used to denote a brook, astreamlet. The root enters largely into Welsh nomenclature, and it is also found in many place-names in theregion of the High Alps. Nannau and Nanney are plural forms of it, omitting t, and adding the pluraltermination au.Pant means a low place, a hollow. It is considerably less than a cwm or dyffryn, combe or valley, beingsomewhat similar to a glen.Parc is an inclosure, equivalent to cae, a piece of land enclosed with hedges. It is used in the latter sense inthe south-west counties. Parth comes from the same root, which means a division of land. Parthau Cytnru,the divisions of Wales. The English " park " is a derivative, which has a more extensive meaning.Pen in geographical names means the highest part or the extreme end, as of a mountain or a field, or ameadow. We find it intact in names of places in Cornwall, as Penzance (saint's head), Penrhyn (headland),and in the north of England we have Penrith; but in its native country the consonant n has been omitted inmany instances, and m substituted, as in Pembroke, Pembrey, &c. Ben, a mountain, enters largely into thecomposition of place-names in Scotland, especially in the Highlands, as Ben-more, (Penmawr), greatmountain, &c. Cen or cenn is another Gaelic form, signifying the same as pen and ben. Cantyre (Pentir),headland ; Kenmore (Penmawr), great mountain; Kinloch (Penllwch), head of the lake. In South Scotlandben is replaced by pen, the Cymric form, as Pencraig, the top of the rock; Penpont, the end of the bridge, &c.We find it also in European names pointing out the earlier settlements of the Celtic race, as Pennine,Apennines, Penne, Penmark, &c.Pont is generally derived from the Latin pons, pontis (f) a bridge. The monks were great bridge-builders, andit is supposed that they introduced the word to us. Pontage is a duty paid for repairing bridges. The Romanpontiff was so called because the first bridge over the Tiber was constructed and consecrated by the highpriest. Pontefract is a pure Latin name, from pons, a bridge, and frangere William, Archbishop of York, waspassing over.Porth is referred by some to the Latin porta, a passage-way, a gate, an opening.Rhiw is the Welsh for ascent, acclivity, slope. It has an analogous meaning to Eppynt, the name of a chain ofmountains in Breconshire, probably from eb, an issuing out, and hynt, a way, a course, signifying a wayrising abruptly. Hyntio means to set off abruptly.Origin of Place-names in Wales & Monmouthshire Page 10