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

Mallwyd. — This place derives its name from maen, a stone, and llwyd, grey. A Druidic monument issupposed to have been here; whence came the name. Some think the name is a compound of man-llwyd,the grey district ; so called probably from the appearance of the mountains. English name — Greystone.Nannau. — A compound of nant, a brook, and au, a plural termination. The t is dropped and n substituted forthe sake of euphony. English name — Brooks, or Brookton.Penrhyndeudraeth. — Penrhytty headland; dau, two; traeth, beach, seashore. The headland projects intothe Tremadoc Bay, between the Traeth Mawr and the Traeth Bach. English name — Beachham.Peniarth. — The right wording is probably Petty-garth, which means hill-top, from the village being situate ona part of the Cader Idris range. English name— Hilltop.Pandy'r Capel. — Pandy means a fulling-mill, which was situated near what is supposed to have beensome-time a Roman Catholic Chapel. English name — Millchapel.Pennal. — A compound of Pen, head, top, and al, a partition, a fence, a defence. The village lies on the oldRoman road called " Sarn Helen," Helen's causeway, and it is supposed that the Romans had a station here.English name — Fenceton.Rhyderin. — Rhyd, a ford; erin, a corruption of gerwin, rough. The name is derived from a rough andperilous ford across the Dysyni river. The etymology of Dysyni is di-swn-wy, noiseless water. English name— Roughford.Rhydonen. — Rhyd, a ford; otten, the ash tree, English name — Ashford.Rhyduchaf. — The name signifies the highest ford. English name — Highford.Rhiwaedog. — Rhiw, slope, the brow of a hill; gwaedog, bloody; so called from a battle that was fought hereat some remote period. A small lake in the district is called Pwll y Gelanedd, the pool of slaughter. Englishname — Battle Hill.Saeth Marchog. — In this place Owen Gwynedd is supposed to have surprised Reginald de Grey andseven knights (Saith Marchog) in his train; hence the right wording is Saith Marchog, and its English name isSeven Knights.Towyn. — Edmunds derives the name from twyn, a a curved hillock or bank ; but we think the right word isTywyn, which is derived from tywodyn, sand ; hence the name signifies a place of sands. The village issituate near the seashore, and is celebrated as a beautiful bathing-place. English name — Sandham.MONMOUTHSHIRE.The Monnow river flows between the counties of Monmouth and Hereford. We rather think the right wordingis mynw-wy; mynw, quick, active; the name signifying the brisk or lively water.Aberbig. — Aber, estuary; big-pig, a slender, narrow thing; or perhaps the suffix is a contraction of pygwy,tar, a liquid pitch, in allusion to the hue of the water. We are inclined to think the name in its pristine form wasA ber-byga; byga, a point. The two valleys, Ebbw and Nantyglo, meet here in a point. English name —Pointham.Abercarn. — The river-name cam, a hoof, is a descriptive term, showing the semi-circular turn of the river,like that of a horse's hoof. Cam yr ebol, colt's foot. English name — Hoofton.Abergavenny. — Flavel Edmunds derives Gavenny, the river-name, from gwy, water, and venny fromfynydd, mountain; hence the mountain water. It is generally called by Welshmen Y Fenni, which inducessome to think the name in its original form was men-wy, the active water. We rather think the name is acompound of cefn, ridge, and gwy, water, denoting a river having its source in high places. This etymology issupported by the fact that this small stream rises on a ridge where some of the water runs in the direction ofOrigin of Place-names in Wales & Monmouthshire Page 75