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

Gwion, the son of Gwreang, the herald of Llanfair, the fane of the lady, in Caer Einiawn, the city of the just inPowys, the land of rest. (Davies' Myth., p. dd?.)Dyfed, or Demetia. — This province embraced the counties of Pembroke, Carmarthen, and Cardigan; theformer constituted the principal part, and is called Dyfed even to-day by the old inhabitants. In the seventhcentury Dyfed consisted only of Pembrokeshire. Some derive the name from Dehtubarth, which is rather farfetched.Baxter derives it from defaid, sheep, and bases his belief on the fact that that part of the country inolden times was noted for its large number of sheep and goats. We are induced to think the root is dwfn,deep or low, indicating the geographical position of Dyfed, which is the lowest part of the Principality. Devonis probably of the same origin. Demetia is Dyfed Latinized.Gwent. — This territory comprised Glamorgan, Monmouth, Brecon, and Radnor counties. The word denotesan open or fair region, and was Latinized by the Romans into Venta. Venta Silurum is now Caerwent, inMonmouthshire.ANGLESEY.Anglesey. — The Welsh name is Ynys Mon, the Isle of Mona. Mon is variously derived. Philotechnus derivesit from the Greek monos, alone, left alone, standing alone, from its being separated by sea from the countiesof North Wales. Dr. Owen Pughe seems to endorse the above : " Man, what is isolated, an isolated one, orthat is separate." The author of Mona Antique derives it from bdn, a stem, a base, a foundation, from itssituation at the extreme point of the Principality, or, perhaps, from its being called " Mdn, mam Cymru,"Mona, the mother of Wales. We are induced to think that the Isle of Mona and the Isle of Man derive theirnames from mon, which means what is isolated, separate. The English name was bestowed upon it after thebattle of Llanvaes, in which Egbert proved himself victor over Merddyn. In 818 or 819 the Saxon kingsubdued Mona, and called it Anglesey, or the Isle of the Angles, or English. The terminal syllable, ey, is theNorse for island.Aberffraw. — This seaport village is situate at the mouth of the river Ffvaw. Aber, estuary; ffraw meansagitation, activity, swiftness. Effraw, awake, vigilant. The Romans called it Gadavia ; gada, to fall or rundown ; via, way, signifying the swift or running water. English name - Swiftmouth.Amlwch. — This name has elicited various conjectures. Some think it is a compound of aml-llwch, signifyinga dusty place. Others derive it thus: am, round, about; llwch, a lake, an inlet of water, signifying a circularinlet of water. Llwch is cognate with the Scottish loch. Many places in Wales take their names from this word,as Penllwch, Talyllychau, Llanlhvch, and, perhaps, Amlwch. In an ancient book, " The Record of Carnarvon,"supposed to be written about 1451, the name is spelt Amlogh, which induces us to think the right wording isAml-och, signifying a place of many groans. Several names in the district point to the probability that bloodybattles were waged here in ancient times, such as Cadfa, battleplace ; Cerryg-y-llefau, stones of weeping;R.iyd y Galanastra, the ford of massacre ; and here Aml-och, the place of many groans. Groaning andweeping are universally the concomitants of bloodshed and war. English name- Groanston.Beaumaris. — Various names are given to this town - Bumaris, Bimaris, Beumarish, Bello-Mariseum, andBeaumaris. In the Myvyrian list of the parishes of Wales it is spelt Bywmares. Edmunds derives it from buw, acow; mor, the sea; and is, low; signifying the low place of cows by the sea. Some think the name is acompounded form of bis, twice ; and maris, the sea, founding their reason upon the position of the town aslying between two seas, the Irish Sea and St. George's Channel. Others think the radices are beau,beautiful, fine, and marie, sea ; signifying a place near the beautiful sea. Many will have the suffix to bemarish, marsh, a tract of low land occasionally covered with water, hence the name signifies the beautifulmarsh. The town was anciently called Forth Wygyr; porth, port; wygyr, perhaps a contraction of Gwaed-gwyr,men's blood; or it may be a corruption of Wig-ir; wig - gwig, an opening in the wood, a wood; ir, fresh, florid.Pren ir, a green tree. The new name, Beaumaris, it is said, was given to the town by Edward I. He built thecastle about the year 1285, and changed the name of the place to Beaumaris, descriptive of its pleasantsituation in low ground.Belan. — An abbreviation of Llanbeulan, the church dedicated to Beulan, son of Paulinus. English name-Beulan.Bethel. — So called after a Nonconformist chapel in the village. The sacred edifices of the EstablishedOrigin of Place-names in Wales & Monmouthshire Page 13