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Welsh place names are often
based on words that describe a landmark or feature of the countryside.
So in fact, what you may see as a jumble of letters is often, in
reality, vividly descriptive:
ABER, the mouth of a river.
AFON, a river.
ALLT, a cliff, or side of a hill e.g. Alltwen.
BACH, (or FACH), little.
BANC, platform, tableland.
BECHAN (or FECHAN), small-the lesser.
BEDD, a grave (beddau, graves).
BETWS, house of prayer.
BLAEN, extremity or beginning: prefix of place at head of a valley
BOD (or FOD), a dwelling-place.
BONT (or PONT), bridge.
BORTH (or PORTH), a port or gate.
BRITH, spotted, mottled.
BRO, vale.
BRON, the slope of a hill.
BRYN, a mound or hill.
BWLCH (or FWLCH), a pass or gap.
BYCHAN (or FYCHAN), small-the lesser.
CAE, an enclosed field.
CAER (or GAER), a camp or fortress.
CANOL (or GANOL), the middle one.
CAPEL (or GAPEL), a chapel.
CARN (or GARN), a prominence.
CARREG, stone.
CASTELL, a castle or fortress.
CAU (or GAU), fenced or enclosed.
CEFN, a ridge.
CELLI (or GELLI, sometimes GELLY), a grove or copse.
COCH (or GOCH), red.
COED (or GOED), a wood.
CORS (or GORS), a bog or marshy place.
CRAIG (or GRAIG), a crag.
CRIB (or CRIBYN), comb, crest, or summit.
CROES (or GROES), a cross.
CRUG (or GRUG), a heap or mound e.g. Crickhowell.
CWM, a shallow valley.
CYMMER, a junction or confluence.
DAN (or TAN), under.
DIN (or DINAS), a town or hill-fortress.
DREF (or DRE), a dwelling-place or village.
DU (or DDU), black.
DWFR (or DWR), water.
DYFFRYN, vale or valley.
EGLWYS, a church.
ESGAIR, a long ridge.
FACH, little.
FAEN, a stone.
FAES, a field.
FAN, a fence.
FAWR, great, large.
FELIN, mill.
FFORDD, way, road.
FFRIDD, a plantation, a mountain pasture or sheep-walk.
FFYNNON, a well or spring.
FOEL, a bare hill.
FYNYDD, a mountain.
GAER, a camp or fortress.
GARN, a prominence.
GARTH, a hill or headland.
GELLI, a grove or copse. e.g. Gellinudd.
GLAN (or LAN), a river or water bank or shore.
GLAS (or LAS), blue (if water), green (if fields).
GLYN, a glen or valley.
GOCH, red.
GOED, a wood.
GOITRE, a home in the wood (from COED and TRE).
GORS, a bog, fen or march.
GRAIG, a crag.
GROES, a cross.
GWAITH, work.
GWAUN (or WAUN), a common or moor.
GWERN (or WERN), a swamp or bog.
GWYN (or WYN), white.
HAFOD, a summer dwelling: in olden times this signified a hill-residence
used during the summer, in contrast to the main home-stead, Hendref
or Hendre, in the valley, occupied during the winter months.
HEN, old.
HIR, long.
ISAF, lowest.
LLAN, primarily an enclosure; its secondary meaning is a sacred
enclosure or churchyard-hence the present meaning, a church.
LLECH, a flat stone.
LLWYD, grey, sometimes venerable.
LLWYN, a bush or grove.
LLYN, a lake or pool.
LLYS, a court or hall.
MAEN (or FAEN), a stone.
MAES (or FAES), an open field in contrast to a close field, CAE.
MAN (or FAN), a place.
MAWR (or FAWR), great, large.
MELIN (or FELIN), a mill.
MERTHYR, a martyr.
MOEL (or FOEL), a bare hill.
MWYN, a mine, ore.
MYNACH, a monk.
MYNYDD (or FYNYDD), a mountain.
NANT, a brook.
NEUADD, a hall.
NEWYDD, new.
OGOF, a cave.
PANDY, a fulling mill (used in wool manufacture).
PANT, a hollow place, a valley.
PEN, head, or top.
PENTRE, a village.
PISTYLL, a spouting waterfall.
PLAS, a hall or mansion.
PONT (or BONT), a bridge.
PORTH (or BORTH), a port or gate.
PWLL, a pool, pit, or hollow.
RHAIADR, waterfall or cataract (in English often spelt Rhayader).
RHIW, a slope, hillside or ascent.
RHOS, an open moor/marsh.
RHUDD, reddish.
RHYD, a ford or stream.
RHYG, rye.
SARN, a causeway.
SYCH, dry.
TAL, a headland, brow of hill.
TIR (or DIR), land-soil.
TRE (or DRE), a dwelling-place or village.
TREF (or DREF), same as Tre.
TY (or DY), a house.
TYDDYN, tenement or small-holding.
TYN, a small-holding.
UCHAF, upper, highest.
UWCH, above.
WAUN, a common or moor.
WERN, a swamp or bog.
WYN (WEN), white.
Y, YR, the, of the.
YN, YM, in.
YNYS, island, holm, watermeadow.
YSTRAD, low flat land by a river, a wide bottomed valley.
YSTWYTH, winding, flexible.
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