WELSH PLACE NAMES Welsh place-names are very descriptive as the language
has not changed significantly for centuries. Whereas in England
many places have Viking or Anglo-Saxon names which use words that
are not in use in the English Language today. Therefore with a knowledge
of modern Welsh you can often guess the location of a village, or
the character of a mountain from its name. Examples of local place-names
and their meanings may be found in the local information section
of this website. See Welsh
Place Names.
CYMRU The Welsh word for Wales is Cymru (Kumree), meaning the
land of the comrades.
WALES'S LONGEST PLACE NAME The longest place name in Wales and the world's longest
railroad station name is:
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyllllantisiliogogogoch
which translates as The Church of St Mary in the Hollow of the White
Hazel Near the Fierce Whirlpool and the Church of Tysilio by the
Red Cave.
NAMING AMERICA America may have taken its name from a Welshman, Richard
Amerik, a chief investor in late 15th century voyages of discovery.
The word 'Amerik' itself seems to be derived from 'ap Meuric', Welsh
for 'son of Maurice' (The later was anglicised further to Morris).
The American state of Pennsylvania was named after the Welsh word
for 'head' (pen).
NAMING THE WORLD'S
HIGHEST MOUNTAIN In 1852, the highest point on Earth, known as Peak XV
to the British Government and Chomolungma "Goddess Mother
of the World" in the Tibetan language, became Mount Everest,
named after Sir George Everest, Surveyor General of India and
native of Breconshire in South Wales. He conducted the first triangulation
survey of central India. In 1955 the height of Everest was established
as 29,028 feet. The highest mountain in Wales, Snowdon, is a mere
3,560 feet in comparison.
