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

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Talsarn. — Tal, end; sarn, road ; from a branch of a Roman road which terminated here. English name —Roadton.Traeth Saith. — Traeth, sands, seashore; Saith is referred by some as Seithedin, famous in Welshmythology. The small river that flows into Traeth Saith is called Saeth, which means an arrow, so calledprobably from its arrow-like course. " As straight as an arrow " is a proverbial phrase. Perhaps it was socalled in contradistinction from the river Ystwyth with its meandering course. The names Blaensaeth andDyffryn Saeth, which are found in the vicinity, induce us to adopt the latter derivation. English name —Straighton.Trefilan. — The church was dedicated to Elen the mother of Constantine the Great; therefore, Ban is amutation of Elen. Eglwys Ilan, Glamorgan, bears her name. English name — Ellenton.Treflyn. — A compound of tref, a place, a town; and llyn, a lake. The place takes its name from a beautifullake called Llyn y maes, the lake of the field, which, according to tradition, covers the original site ofTregaron. English name — Laketon.Tregaron. — The church was dedicated to Bishop Caron, and the place is named in honour of him. Englishname — Carontown.Tremaen. — Tre, place ; maen, stone; its literal signification being " the town of the stone," so called from thenoted stone, Llech yr ast, and the adjacent cistfaens near the village. English name — Stoneton.Troedyraur. — Troed, foot, base, lower part. Troed-y-bryn, the lowest part of the hill. Piedmont has the samesignification, from It. pie di monte, foot of the mountain, so called from its situation. Yr, the; aur, probablywrongly-spelt for air, bright, clear. If we adopt the termination air, the name means the basement of a hill,from which a clear view may be had of the surrounding district. Some derive the name from the tradition thataur, gold, was discovered at the foot of the hill. It appears that the ancient name of the church was Tredeyrn,the king's town, from the supposition that Owain ab Hywel Dda, the king of Ceredigion, some time took uphis abode in the vicinity. Llys Owain, Owen's court, the ruins of which are still discernible, about a quarter of amile from the church, inclines us to think that Tredeyrn is the correct name of this place. English name —Kington.Tynyswydd. — Ty, house; yn, in; y, the; swydd, jurisdiction. The house, from which the village takes itsname, was probably situated at the extreme end of the Mefenydd judicature. English name — Lexham.Ystrad Meurig. — Meurig is recorded to have been killed at a place where a church was dedicated to him.The place is also famous for its ancient seminary. Meyryg, son of Meirchion, was a brave, far-famed king. Inhis time the Irish Picts came to Cambria; he, however, marched against them, drove them away, or slewthem; but was killed by an Irishman concealed in a wood, since called Ystrad Meyryg." Iolo MSS., p. 352.English name — Meurig's Vale.Ystumtuem. — Ystum, a bend, a shape, a form; Tuem, the name of the river that flows through the place.Tuem probably is a compound of tu, a side, a region, a part; and an-ain, water, signifying a piece of land nearthe water. English name — Waterham.CARMARTHENSHIRE.Carmarthen is an Anglicized form of Caerfyrddin. The Welsh Chronicle derives the name from Myrddin, thepseudo-prophet and bard, and many are the traditions that boldly, but absurdly, support the derivation.History rejects this popular etymology by stating that the town was called " Maridunum " by the Romans,during and after the Roman subjugation, long ere the prophet was born. The Kaervyrddin of the Britons is the" Maridunum," the city by the sea, of Ptolemy ; and the " Muridunum," the walled city of Antonius. Some thinkthat the Latin name is a translation of the Welsh one, and derive the latter thus: Caer, fortress, wall; fyr, amutation of mor-tnyr, the sea; din-ddin, a hill ; signifying a fortified hill upon or near the sea. Others maintainthat Caermyrddin, the ruinous city, is the true derivation. Another derivation is offered. Caerfyrdd-ddyn, thecitadel of ten thousand, from myrdd, a myriad, and dyn t a man. We are inclined to think that " Maridunum "is the etymology of the name, and that the Welsh caer was prefixed to it, and hence it was transmuted to itsOrigin of Place-names in Wales & Monmouthshire Page 31
present form — Caerfyrddin.Abergwili. — Aber f estuary; Gwili, the name of the river that flows into the Towy; hence the name. Gwili is aderivative of gwyllt, wild, and lli t a flux, signifying wild water. Some derive it from gwy, water, and Hi, a flux.The " Dictionary of Universal Information " appears to confuse Abergwili with Abergorlech, and wronglyinforms us that in the latter "is an episcopal palace belonging to the see of St. David's." Welshmen know thatthe two places are not one and the same, and that Abergwili still retains the honour of being the residence ofthe Bishop of St. David's. English name — Waterflux.Abergorlech. — The river Gorlech discharges itself into the river Cothi near the village; hence the name.Gorlech, probably, is a mutation of Garwlech. Garw, rough; lech-llech, stone; rough stones from the bed ofthe river. English name — Stonemouth.Abercowyn. — The river Cowyn or Cywyn flows into the river Taf at the place; hence the name. Cywynmeans a rising or swelling up; the popular word cwnu, rising, comes from the verb cywynu, to rise, mount up.English name— Swellmouth.Aberarad. — Arad, the name of the river on which the village is situated, so called, perhaps, from itsresemblance to an aradr, plough. Arad is the popular pronunciation of the Welsh aradr. English name —Ploughton.Aberbran. — This place takes its name from the river Bran, which is a contraction of bre, mountain; and an,ain, or en, brook, signifying the mountain brook. English name — Brookmouth.Aberduar. — The right wording probably is Aber-dyar, from its situation on the river Dyar, which means anoise, a sound, a din. English name — Dinmouth.Above-Saw ddwy. — The village derives its name from the river Sawddwy, on which it is situated. Sawddimplies depth, a sinking; wy-gwy, water; the name signifying the deep or plunging water. English name —Deepwater.Ammanford. — The ancient name of the place was Cross Inn, from a public house of that name, which issituated at the junction of four roads. Ammanford, from its situation on the river A man, which name isprobably a compound of ami, many; and ain, water; signifying a river of many tributaries or sources.Burry Port. - Burry Port adjoins the ancient village of Penbre* Pen, head, top; bre-fre, up high, or perhapsbre is a corruption of bryn, a hill. Both suffixes come from the same root, and have analogous significations.Some think Burry is a compound of bur, wild, frothy, and gwy, water. Burym, barm, is derived from the sameroot. The river Berem is not far from this vicinity. Another attempt is bre-borth; bre-bryn, hill; borth-porth, portThe seaport is situated at the entrance of the river Burry; hence the English name — Burry Port.Bryn-y-Beirdd. — This place derives its name from an ancient farmhouse in the vicinity, called Cwri-Bryn- y-Beirdd, from the supposition that it was once the residence of the bards. English name — Bardshill.Bryn Gwyne. — Bryn, hill; Gwyne, intensified form of gwyn, white, blessed. Gwyndud, a happy land. Englishname — Blisshill.Bryn Hafod. — Hafod means a summer-house, which was generally built on a hill. English name —Summer Hill.Brynaman. — Bryn, hill; Aman, the name of the River on which the place is situated. For Aman, videAmmanford. English name — Waterhill.Bwlchgwynt. — Bwlch, an opening, a pass; gwynt, wind; signifying a pass where the wind occasionallyasserts its power very vehemently. English name — Windham.Caledfwlch. — Caled, hard, severe; bwlch, opening, pass. Tradition has it that bloody wars were fought inthe vicinity, and that the distress and calamity was so great at a certain spot that it was henceforth calledCaledfwlch. A brook in the place is called Nantgoch, red brook, from the traditional belief that it wassometime red with blood. English name — Warstow.Origin of Place-names in Wales & Monmouthshire Page 32
Page 1 and 2: HANDBOOK OF THE ORIGIN OF PLACE-NAM
Page 3 and 4: § § § § §The Author begs to st
Page 5 and 6: pitiful cries of the railway offici
Page 7 and 8: Bishop Percy says that "in England,
Page 9 and 10: The city of Chester is still popula
Page 11 and 12: There's Cumwhitton, Cumwhinton, Cum
Page 13 and 14: Llwyn in its primary' sense means a
Page 15 and 16: PLACE-NAMES IN WALES.Wales. — The
Page 17 and 18: Church are generally dedicated to e
Page 19 and 20: think he was a contemporary of St.
Page 21 and 22: Rhosbeirio. — Rhos, a moor, a dry
Page 23 and 24: of Brecknock," states that this vic
Page 25 and 26: Cam cnwir ef Cwmdu,Cwm gwyn yw & n
Page 27 and 28: Penderyn. — A corruption probably
Page 29 and 30: Ardudwy. — Ar, upon or above; tud
Page 31 and 32: to mark its pre-eminence over the o
Page 33: Some think that eirw is a corruptio
Page 37 and 38: place of refuge; hence the name. En
Page 39 and 40: Llansawyl. — The church was dedic
Page 41 and 42: eject. The village took its name fr
Page 43 and 44: house, and attempted to kill an inf
Page 45 and 46: Gwydir. — Prima facie one may tak
Page 47 and 48: Nefyn. — The church was probably
Page 49 and 50: DENBIGHSHIRE.Anglicized form of Din
Page 51 and 52: Llangollen. — From Collen, a sain
Page 53 and 54: hands into their pockets to pay a c
Page 55 and 56: Cefn. — The name signifies a ridg
Page 57 and 58: Maesgarmon. — Named in honour of
Page 59 and 60: Abertridwr. — Tridwr, three water
Page 61 and 62: it is said, was originally built by
Page 63 and 64: Cwmllynfell. — Cwm, a narrow vale
Page 65 and 66: Gwarycaeau. — Gwdr, the nape of t
Page 67 and 68: means a cultivated region, a vale,
Page 69 and 70: Penrhiwfer.- Pen, head, top; rhiw,
Page 71 and 72: Port Talbot. — So called in 1835
Page 73 and 74: Trealaw. — This appellation was g
Page 75 and 76: Aberdyfi. — So called from its si
Page 77 and 78: Llanddwywe. — From Dwywau, a desc
Page 79 and 80: Crickhowell and some in the directi
Page 81 and 82: Griffithstown. — This village was
Page 83 and 84: and gwy, water. Treiddiod troth tna
Page 85 and 86:
derive Tintern from din, fortified
Page 87 and 88:
Caersws. — It appears that the Ro
Page 89 and 90:
English name — Ervylton.Llanymech
Page 91 and 92:
Angle. — Probably from the angle-
Page 93 and 94:
Gellyswick. — Another hybrid. Gel
Page 95 and 96:
that the two rivers in their flowin
Page 97 and 98:
ecame the bishop of the see, and wa
Page 99 and 100:
earth formerly stood on a summit on
Page 101 and 102:
Pilleth. — A corruption of pwll,
Page 103 and 104:
Howells, Rev. J., Mountain AshHowel
Page 105 and 106:
Williams, D., PenywernWilliams, Rev
show all

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

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?