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Place names are made up of components which are referred to as elements. These elements are simply the words people used to describe a place or their response to their environment. This is a glossary of the elements, generic and qualifying, most frequently found in the place names of Wales. A more complete background to Welsh in place names, pronunciation and spelling can be found accompanying Introduction to Welsh origins of place names in Britain .
Each element is cited in its radical form, any common dialectal variant, its feminine form (in the case of an adjective), its plural (if found in place-names) and its gender.
The meaning given is that which occurs in place names. Some elements occur only in place names and others are prefixes, suffixes or particles that modify or qualify place names.
Two place names (with grid references) are cited as examples for each element.
Abbreviations
| adj | = | adjective | nf | = | noun feminine | |
| adv | = | adverb | nm | = | noun masculine | |
| f | = | feminine | np | = | noun plural | |
| m | = | masculine | pr | = | preposition | |
| pl | = | plural | num | = | number |
A to B | C | D to F | G to I | L to O | P to S | T to Y
| Element | Meaning | Examples |
| l- | A word starting l may be a mutated form of a word starting ll | |
| lawnt , lawnd nf | open space in woodland , glade | Lawnt SJ0412 Lawnt SJ0465 |
| llaeth nm | milk | Llaethbwlch SJ1116 Wernllaeth SN5165 |
| llaethdy nm | milk-house , dairy | Blaenllaethdy SN0924 Pantllaethdy SN4942 |
| llain nf lleiniau pl | narrow strip of land | Llainfachwen SH5649 Llain-lwyd SN2818 |
| llam nm | leap | Llam Carw SH4593 Llam-march SO2111 |
| llan nf | church , monastery | Llandudno SH7881 Llanelli SN5000 |
| llannerch nf | clearing , glade | Llannerch-y-medd SH4184 Rhosllannerchrugog SJ2946 |
| llawr nm | level area, floor of valley | Llawr-y-glyn SN9391 Llawr-y-cwm-bach SN7185 |
| lle nm | place , position | Lle'r Gaer ST0587 Lle'r-neuaddau SN7584 |
| llech nf llechau pl | slab , stone , rock , rock | Benllech SH5182 Harlech SH5831 |
| llechwedd nf | hillside | Cwmllechwedd SO1375 Llechwedd SH9512 |
| lled nm & pr | breadth; rather , almost , partly | Lledfron SJ1120 Llednant SN9054 |
| lleian nf | nun | Llanlleiana SH3894 Llan Lleian-wen SS6799 |
| llethr nf | slope | Llethr SO0776 Esgair Llethr SN7254 |
| llety nm | small abode , quarters | Bron-llety-Ifan SH6312 Cefn-Pen-llety SJ0336 |
| llidiard , llidiart nm llidiardau , llidiartau pl | gate | Llidiart-cae-hir SJ1430 Llidiardau SN6374 |
| llin nm/f | flax | Pant Llin Bach SH8163 Bryn-llin-fawr SH7729 |
| llo nm lloi pl | calf | Nant Cwm-lloi SH9526 Nant-llo SN3452 |
| lloc nm | fold | Lloc SJ1476 Lloc SH5861 |
| llofft nf | high place (loft) | Llofft-y-bardd SN8953 Llofftyddgleision SN9371 |
| lluest nm | shieling , cottage , hut | Lluest SH9708 Lluest-wen SS8489 |
| llwch nm llychau pl | lake; dust | Amlwch SH4493 Talyllychau SN6332 |
| llwm adj lom f | bare , exposed | Cwm-llwm SH9962 Grinllwm SH7762 |
| llwybr nm | path | Llwybr-hir SJ1275 Penllwybr SN4057 |
| llwyd adj llwydion pl | grey , brown; holy | Pentre Llwyn-llwyd SN9654 Braich Llwyd SH6654 |
| llwyfen nf llwyf pl | elm | Aberllefenni SH7709 Llwyfen SO1521 |
| llwyn nm llwyni , llwynau pl | grove , bush | Llwyngwril SH5909 Llwyndyrys SH3741 |
| llwynog nm | fox | Cwmllwynog SJ0706 Trwyn Llwynog SM8634 |
| llydan adj | broad | Carreglydan SH3271 Cefn-llydan SO0696 |
| llygad nm | source of river or stream (eye) | Llygad-y-cleddau SM9733 Llyn Llygad Rheidol SN7987 |
| llygoden nf llygod pl | mouse | Heol Llygoden SO1729 Tre-pys-llygod SH8868 |
| llym adj llem f | sharp , acute | Carreg Blaen-Llym SH6643 Carreg Lem SN8017 |
| llyn nm/f | lake | Maes-llyn SN3644 Crymlyn ST2198 |
| llynwyn nm | pool , puddle; moat | Bryn Llynwyn-ddwr SS9099 Llynwyn Glas SS9894 |
| llys nm/f | court , hall | Henllys ST2693 Llys-y-frân SN0424 |
| lôn nf | lane , road | Lôn-las SH4240 Lôn SO0267 |
| m- | A word starting m may be a mutated form of a word starting b | |
| ma- , -fa nf | plain , place | Machynlleth SH7400 Gabalfa |
| mab nm meibion pl | son | Nantymab SN5322 Moel y Mab SJ2405 |
| maen nm meini , main pl | stone | Rhyd-y-main SH8022 Pont-faen SN9934 |
| maenol nf | stone-built residence of chieftain of district ; manor | Maenol SN9583 Faenol-Broper SJ0174 |
| maerdre(f) nf | lord's demesne | Llanilltud Faerdref ST0886 Gwaralltyfaerdre SN4349 |
| maerdy nm | steward's house , dairy | Y Maerdy SS9798 Y Maerdy SJ3015 |
| maes nm meysydd pl | open field , plain | Maes-glas ST3086 Maes-teg SS8591 |
| magwyr nf | (dry) stone wall , hedge ; ruin | Magwyr ST4287 Clwydyfagwyr SO0206 |
| maharen nm meheryn pl | ram , wether | Gellifaharen SN4143 Rhosmeheryn SN8971 |
| main adj | thin , narrow | Gell-fain SN8432 Bylchau Rhos-fain SN7517 |
| main (see maen ) | ||
| march nm meirch pl | horse , stallion | Rhos-meirch SH4677 Drenewydd Gelli-farch ST4793 |
| marchog nm | knight , horseman | Felindre Farchog SN1039 Marchogdir SN8826 |
| marian nm | holm , gravel , gravelly ground , rock debris | Marian-glas SH5084 Marian Prysau SJ1274 |
| marl nm | marl , chalky clay | Parc-y-marl SN0424 Gwern-y-marl SJ2268 |
| mawn nm | peat | Rhos-y-mawn SH8566 Waun Mawn SN0834 |
| mawnog nf | peat-bog | Mawnog SN7994 Pen Bryn-y-fawnog SH9527 |
| mawr adj | big , great | Llanbadarn Fawr SN6080 Waunfawr SH5359 |
| medd nm | mead | Nant-y-medd SN6150 Llanerchymedd SH4184 |
| meillionen nf meillion pl | clover | Cwm Meillionen SH5648 Maes-meillion SH9230 |
| melin nf | mill | Felin-fach SN5255 Melin-coed SH8160 |
| melindref nf | mill-town | Felindre SO1836 Felindre SN7027 |
| melyn adj melen f | yellow | Trefelen SN0721 Melynllyn SH7065 |
| menyn , ymenyn nm | butter | Brynmenyn SS9084 Dolmenyn SN9649 |
| merch nf | daughter | Afon Merch SH6352 Crugiau Merched SN7245 |
| merddwr nm merched pl | stagnant water | Merddwr SH8950 Banc y Merddwr SH8335 |
| merllyn nm | stagnant pool | Merllyn SJ2668 Merllyn SJ1356 |
| merthyr nm | burial place , church | Merthyr Tudful SO0506 Merthyr Cynog SN9837 |
| meudwy nm | hermit | Ynysymeudwy SN7305 Porth Meudwy SH1625 |
| mh- | A word starting mh may be a mutated form of a word starting p | |
| mign , mignen nf mignedd pl | bog , quagmire | Migneint SH7842 Tal-y-mignedd SH5252 |
| milgi nm | greyhound | Ffynnon Maen Milgi SJ0634 Ffynnon y Milgi SJ1251 |
| miliast nf | greyhound bitch | Gwal y Filiast SN1725 Carnedd y Filiast SH6162 |
| min nm | margin side | Minffordd SH5770 Minffrwd SJ0523 |
| mochyn nm moch pl | pig | Mochdre SH8278 Crug-moch SN3333 |
| moel adj | bare , bald | Nant-y-moel SS9392 Moelfre SH5186 |
| moel nf | bare hill | Y Foel SH9911 Rhyd-y-foel SH9176 |
| morfa nm | marsh , fen | Morfa Bychan SH5437 Morfa Nefyn SH2840 |
| moryd nf | estuary , channel | Afon Foryd SH4457 Foryd SH4559 |
| mur nm muriau pl | wall | Castell Tomen-y-mur SH7038 Mur Melyn SH1728 |
| mwdwl nm | stack , cock of hay | Mwdwl-eithin SH9154 Pen y Mwdwl SH9266 |
| mwnws nm | refuse heap | Rhiw Fwnws SO1653 Castell y Mwnws ST0280 |
| mwyalch , mwyalchen nf | blackbird | Croes-y-mwyalch ST3092 Llechwedd-fwyalchen SH8627 |
| mwyn nm | ore , mine | Rhandir-mwyn SN7843 Rhyd-y-mwyn SJ2066 |
| mynach nm mynych , menych , mynaich pl | monk | Capel Coed-y-mynach SO3402 Ystradmynach ST1494 |
| mynachdy nm | monastic grange | Trwynmynachdy SM6922 Mynachdy SN7995 |
| mynachlog nf | monastery | Mynachlog-ddu SN1430 Mynachlog SJ2367 |
| mynwent nf | churchyard , cemetery | Penyfynwent SH4388 Esgair-fynwent SN5334 |
| mynydd nm | mountain , moorland | Penmynydd SH5074 Gwernymynydd SJ2162 |
| n- | A word starting n may be a mutated form of a word starting d | |
| nant nf nentydd , naint , nannau pl | brook | Nantyffyllon SS8592 Nant-glas SN9965 |
| nant nm nentydd , naint , nannau pl | dingle , glen | Nant-y-moel SS9392 Llanfihangel-y-pennant SH6709 |
| neuadd nf | hail | Llety'r-neuadd SN4728 Llwyneuadd SN8824 |
| newydd adj newydd , newyddion pl | new | Castell Newydd Emlyn SN3040 Y Drenewydd SO1191 |
| ng- | A word starting ng may be a mutated form of a word starting g | |
| ngh- | A word starting ngh may be a mutated form of a word starting c | |
| nh- | A word starting nh may be a mutated form of a word starting t | |
| noddfa nf/m | refuge , shelter , sanctuary | Braich y Noddfa SH1326 Caer Noddfa SN9696 |
| nyth nm/f | nest , inaccessible position | Nyth-grug SO1760 Tap Nyth-yr-eryr SH9021 |
| ochr nf | side , slope | Ochr Cefn SH8449 Ochr Fawr SN7455 |
| odyn nf | kiln | Rhydodyn SN6334 Twynrodyn SO0505 |
| oer adj | cold , exposed | Waun-oer SH7814 Cwm Oergwm SO0623 |
| offeiriad nm | priest | Nantyroffeiriad SO0343 Nantyroffeiriad-fawr SO0343 |
| ogof , gogof nf ogofau , gogofau pl | cave | Bryn-yr-ogof SJ1956 Ogof Ddu SH8921 |
| onllwyn nm | ash grove | Yr Onllwyn SN8310 Onllwyn SN8410 |
| onnen nf onn , ynn pl | ash-tree | Trefonnen ST3483 Rhyd-yr-onnen SH6102 |