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

Nefyn. — The church was probably dedicated to Nefyn, daughter of Brychari Brycheinog, and a saint of thefifth century; hence the name of the place. English name — Nevin.Portmadoc. — In 1813 Mr. Maddock, Tan-yr-Allt, made an embankment to save the site of the present townfrom the incursions of the sea; and in 1821 he obtained an Act of Parliament for opening a port in the place,so he is naturally called the founder of the town, and his name was deservedly bestowed upon it.Pontnewydd. — Pont, bridge; newydd, new; so called from a certain bridge that was built over the riverGwyrfai. English name — Newbridge.Pwllheli. — Pwll, pool; heli, salt water; the seaport is situated on the edge of Cardigan Bay. The Myvyrian "derives heli from Heli, the son of Glanog. English name — Saltpool.Portdinorwig. — Din, a hill fort; or-gor, border; wig-gwig, wood, forest; signifying a castle near a wood. TheRev. Isaac Taylor derives it thus: Port Dyn Norwig, the "Port of the Norway men," founding his reasons uponthe probability that the Normans frequently visited that haven. His derivation, in our opinion, is rather farfetchedand misleading. English name — Castleport.Penygroes. — So called after an insignificant cottage of the name, which stood near a crossway. Englishname — Crossend.Penmaenmawr. — Pen, head; maen, stone, rock; mawr, great. The prefix pen is frequently found in thenames of mountains, such as Ben Nevis, Appennines, Pennignant ; La Penne, Penard, &c. Penmaenmawr isa huge mountain, 1545 feet perpendicular from its base, it being the terminating point of the Snowdonianrange of mountains. The beautiful watering-place, which shelters at its base, takes its name from it. Englishname — Stonehill.Penmachno. — Machno, a mutation of Machnawf; mach-moch, ready, quick, swift; nawf, swim. " Moch dysgnawf mab hwyad " — i.e. the young of the duck soon learn to swim. Machno is the name of the river nearwhich the village is situated. Some are of opinion that the name signifies the head of Machno, a descendantof one of the Irish princes that visited these shores about the fourth century. The common opinion of theinhabitants is that machno is a corruption of mynachlog, monastery, founding their reason upon thesupposition that a monastery stood here in time of yore. English name — Swifton.Pentir. — The name means headland. Centire has the same signification. Pen in Gaelic is cen. The place isalso called Llangedol, from the dedication of its church to Cedol, a Welsh saint. English name — Headland.Penrhyn. — Rhyn means a promontory. Rhe, , run, rain, and rhyn, are derivatives of the Sanscrit W. Rlie &eg, running; reindeer, the running deer; the, swift. Penrhyn, a point of land that runs into the sea. Rhine, arapid river. The Rhyns are numerous in our island. Rindow Point near Wigton; Penrhyn in Cornwall; Rhynd inPerth; the Rins of Galloway, &c. English name— Capesend.Pen Isa'r Waun. — The name signifies a place situated at the lower end of the meadow. English name —Plainsend.Penllech. — This name signifies " the head of the rock," from the situation of the place at the extremity ofsome rocks on the coast of St. George's Channel. English name — Rockham.Port Penrhyn. — The late Lord Penrhyn made this a shipping-place for the slates that were conveyed fromhis quarries in the Vale of Nant Ffrancon; hence the name.Pisgah. — So called from Pisgah, the Congregational Chapel that was built in the place.Pencarth. — A compound of pen, head or end, and garth, a promontory, a ridge. English name — Ridgend.Pen Morfa. — The name signifies the head or end of the marsh. The village is situated between some highrocks at the end of a tract of meadows on the western bank of Traeth Mawr, the great beach. It was ancientlycalled Y Wern, and supposed to be a seaport before Mr. Maddock raised the embankment at Port Madoc.English name — Marshend.Origin of Place-names in Wales & Monmouthshire Page 44