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

it is said, was originally built by Morgan ap Hywel ap Rhys. Close by we find Llandaf, the stately edifice onthe Taff, and in the metropolis of Wales we find a fortress on the Taff. Taf means spreading. Tafwys, theWelsh for Thames, means the spreading or expanding water. English name — Broadfort.Cerryg Llwydion. — Cerryg, stones; llwydion, plural form of llwyd, grey; from a number of grey stones in theplace. English name — Greystone.Cilffriw. — A compound of cil, a place of retreat; and ffriwy mien, countenance, visage. " A gwaed ffrau arffriw " — and streaming blood on a visage. Ffroen, nose, nostril, comes from the same root. The name isapplied to hill tops or some kind of eminences. English name — Phizton.Clwydyfagwyr. — Clwyd, a hurdle, a wattled gate; y, the; fagwyr-magwyr, a structure, a wall, an enclosure.English name — Wallgate.Craigcefnparc. — Craig, rock; cefn, ridge, back; pare, a field, an enclosure. English name — Rockfield.Cwmbwrla. — Bwrla is probably a corruption of bwr-le; bwr, an old Welsh word denoting a place of defence;le-lle, a place. " Ni sefis na thwr na bwr" — i.e., there stood nor tower nor wall. English name — Fortcomb.Cwmaman. —Cwm, a narrow vale; Atnan, the name of the rivulet that flows through it; hence the name.English name — Highcombe.Castella. — Probably contracted, from castellan, a form of castell, a castle. English name— Castleby.Caersalem Newydd. — A village near Llangyfelach. It was known by the name Tirdeunaw until the Baptistsbuilt their magnificent sacred edifice in the place, and called it Caersalem Newydd, which means NewJerusalem.Cwmparc. — The rivulet Pare flows through the combe; hence the name. English name — Parkcombe.Cwmbach. — From an old cottage bearing the name, which signifies " small vale." English name —Pettycombe.Cwmdar. — From an old cottage of the name, so called from its situation on the river Ddr, or Dyar. Englishname — Dincombe.Cellywion. — Probably a corruption of Celliwyn, which signifies the white grove. Some think the rightwording is Celli Gwion, Gwion's grove. English name — Whitegrove.Cadoxton. — Cadog's town. The church was dedicated to Catwg the Wise; hence the Welsh nameLlangatwg. From its contiguity to Neath, it is called Cadoxton-juxta-Neath. The saint was called Catwg theWise from his superior wisdom in all councils.Crynant. — Probably a corruption of croyw, clear, crystal ; and ftant, a brook. The clear brook runs throughthe place, and empties itself into the Dulais. English name — Clearbrook.Caerphili. — The prefix is clear, but opinions vary as to the origin of phily. Iago Emlyn says: The probableroot of phily is vallum, the moat that surrounded it (the castle), the watermark of which is still visible on theold outer wall. Vallum could easily have become "valley," and then " villy," and last "phily.'* There are otherless plausible derivations, but we incline to think it comes from Ffili, the name of the son of Cenydd. Itspristine name was Senghenydd (Saint Cenydd), in honour of Cenydd, who founded a seminary here. WhenCenydd moved to Gower he left the seminary under the auspices of his son Ffili* who built a caev, fortress ordefensive wall round it ; hence it was called Caer Ffili. If the old name Senghenydd was given in honour ofCenydd, it is but natural that the new name was given in honour of his son Ffili. English name — Filfort.Cefnpenar. — Cefn, back, ridge; penar, a mutation oipenor, bright, fair. English name — Fairridge.Cowbridge. — A translation of the old Welsh name of the town, Pontyfon. Mon is an old Welsh word for cow.In an old manuscript, dated 1645, it is written Pontyfuwch, the bridge of the cow. Its pristine name was Y DrefHir yn y Waun, the long town in the meadow, and its present name was derived from the following incident.Soon after the stone bridge was built across the river Dawen, a cow, being chased by the dogs, ran under it,Origin of Place-names in Wales & Monmouthshire Page 58