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Glossary of Welsh origins of place names in Britain: A and B

Introduction | A and B |  C  |  D to F  |  G to I |  L to O | P to S | T to Y

Element Meaning Examples
abad nm abbot Tirabad SO8741 Hafod-yr-Abad SJ1848
aber nm/f estuary , confluence , stream Aberystwyth SN5881 Llanaber SH6017
acer nf aceri , acrau pl acre Ddwy-acer SJ0364 Ty'n-yr-acrau SH5833
aderyn nm adar pl bird Brynyradar ST1675 Craig yr Aderyn SH6406
adwy nf gap , pass Craig-adwy-wynt SJ1253 Nant Adwy'r-llan SH8546
ael nf brow , edge Ael-y-coryn SJ1633 Aelybryn SN5872
aelwyd nf hearth Aelwyd-uchaf SJ0974 Aelwyd Brys SH9250
afallen nf apple-tree Afallenchwerw SN9854 Dolafallen SN9566
afon nf river Afon-wen SJ1371 Glanrafon SN6790
allt , gallt nf elltydd , alltau pl hillside , cliff , wood Allt-mawr SO0746 Alltwalis SN4431
am pr near , beside , around Amlwch SH4493 Henllan Amgoed SN1820
amlwg adj evident , visible , prominent Brynamlwg SN2214 Grwnamlwg SJ1515
angell nf offshoot , tributary , leg , wing , limb Aberangell SH8410 Afon Angell SH8111
anner , annair nf heifer Cwm Penanner SH9146 Dolpenanner SH9168
ar pr on , upon , over Hendy-gwyn ar Daf SN2016 Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr SN1745
ardd, ard nm hill , height Talardd SN4941 Pennard SS5688
argae nm argaeau pl dam, mill-dam , embankment Rhydargaeau SN4326 Penyrargae SH3284
arglwydd nm -es n f lord , lady Waunarlwydd SS6095 Caer-arglwyddes SN6991
argoed nf wood , grove Argoed ST1799 Twyn-yr-argoed SO4207
arian nm silver Carn yr arian SN9412 Fedw-arian SH9136
arth nm/f bear Aber-arth SN4763 Afon Arth SN4862
asgwrn nm esgyrn pl bone Mynydd yr Esgyrn SJ0818 Esgyrn SM9634
athro nm teacher , father confessor Caeathro SH5061 Pant Yr Athro SN3613
aur nm gold Bron-yr-aur SH7302 Llannerch-yr-aur SN8697
awel nf awelon pl breeze Morawel SN0843 Awelfryn SN4223
b- A word starting b may be a mutated form of a word starting p  
bach adj small , little Dre-fach SN5045 Cwm-bach Llechryd SO0254
bach nf bachau pl nook , corner , bend in a river Bachau SH4383 Eglwys-bach SH8070
bachell nf bachell , bachellau pl corner , nook , angle Fachell SH9978 Fachell SH5466
bala nm narrow land between two lakes , outlet of a lake Bala SH9236 Brynbala SN5986
ban nf bannau pl peak , beacon Pen y Bannau SN7466 Rhydybannau SN5251
banc nm bank , hill , slope Bancyfelin SN3218 Pen-y-banc SN4037
bangor nf (ecclesiastical) settlement enclosed within a wattled fence Bangor SH5771 Bangor Teifi SN3840
banhadlen nf banadl, banal pl broom Cefn-banadl SN6462 Bronbanadl SN6469
banhadlog nf broom patch Maesbanadlog SN7067 Banhadlog SN9780
bannog adj high , horned , turreted Bron-Bannog SJ0352 Cefnbannog SJ0251
banw nm young pig Blaen Cwm Banw SO0722 Nant-y-banw ST4097
bar nm top , summit Crug-y-bar SN6537 Bryn-y-bar SH2875
barcud nm kite , buzzard Carreg y Barcud SM7724 Llwyn-y-barcud SN4109
bardd nm beirdd pl bard Llofft-y-bardd SN8953 Cwrtbrynbeirdd SN6618
bargod nm boundary (eaves) Bargoed ST1499 Bargod Taf ST1098
batin , bating (see betin etc.)    
baw nm dirt Pig y Baw SN0140 Bryn y Baw SJ1678
bedd nm beddau pl grave Beddgelert SH5948 Beddau ST0685
bedwen nf bedw pl birch Craigyfedwen SH7576 Berthyfedwen SN3441
bedwlwyn nm birch grove Bedwlwyn SJ2236 Bedwlwyncoch SN8823
beidr nf lane , path Penfeidr SN1750 Penyfeidr SM8726
beili nm beiliau pl bailey Beili SN3827 Beili-glas SO3010
bela , bele nm marten , wild beast Trebela ST4298 Clunbele SN3433
bendigaid adj blessed Llanfendigaid SH5605 Pontrhydfendigaid SN7366
berw nm rush of water Berw-ddu SN9602 Berw-uchaf SH4671
betin , beting , bietin , bieting nm pared and burnt land Cefn-betingau SN6601 Batingau SJ0658
betws nm chapel Betws Bledrws SN5952 Betws-y-coed SH7956
beudy nm cow-house Beudiau SN5549 Beudy-mawr SH3133
bid nm quickset hedge Carreg Fidwen SH6481 Twyn y Fidffawydd SO1102
blaen nm blaenau pl source of river or stream; highland Blaenau Ffestiniog SH7045 Blaengarw SS9092
blaidd nm wolf Cae'r-blaidd SN5133 Castell-y-blaidd SO1279
bod nm/f abode , dwelling Bodedern SH3380 Meifod SJ1512
bol , bola nm belly , swelling Rhos-y-bol SH4288 Cors-y-bol SH3784
bon nm stock , stump , base Bon-y-maen SS6895 Bon-yr-on SJ0646
boncen , boncyn (see poncyn , poncen )    
braenar , branar nm brynar n f fallow land Mynydd Branar SH8771 Braenarauduon SN7246
braich nm/f ridge , arm Pen-y-braich SJ0316 Braich Anelog SH1427
brân nf brain pl crow Cwm-brân ST2995 Llanfihangel Nant Brân SN9434
bras adj breision pl big , fat , rich Bryn-bras SH8543 Maen Bras SH9239
bre nf hill Pen-bre SN4201 Moelfre SH5186
brenin nm king Rhodiad-y-brenin SM7627 Plas y Brenin SH7157
brest nf hill-breast Brest Cwm-Llwyd SN7019 Brestbaily SN9838
brith adj braith f speckled; coarse Brithdir SH7719 Pontllan-fraith ST1896
briw nm (adj) broken , shattered Briwnant SH8402 Carn Briw SN0537
bro nf region; vale , lowland Llanbedr-y-fro ST0876 Rhyd-y-fro SN7105
bron nf bronnydd pl hill-breast (breast) Bronydd SO2245 Brongest SN3245
brwynen nf brwyn pl rush Brwynen SJ0321 Cwmbrwyn SN2512
brwynog nf place of rushes , marsh Brwynog SH7564 Brwynog SH3586
brych adj brech f speckled Brechfa SN5230 Llanfrechfa ST3193
bryn nm bryniau pl hill Bryn-berian SN1035 Llanbryn-mair SH8902
bryncyn nm hillock Bryncyn-felen SJ2019 Bryncyn-hydfa SH3847
buarth nm buarthau pl farm-yard; pen Buarth Berran SH5764 Buarth y Caerau SO0713
buches nf milking-fold (herd) Buches y Foelortho SJ0421 Fuches SN8489
budr adj dirty , mucky Nant Budr SH7435 Rhyd-fudr SN6567
bugail nm bugelydd , bugeiliaid pl shepherd Bugeildy SO1979 Tafarn-y-Bugail SN2546
bustach nm bustych pl bullock Nant y Bustach SN8153 Cwm Bustach SH8502
buwch nf buchod; (gwartheg) pl cow; cattle Cas-fuwch SN0229 Cwm y Fuwch SS9490
bwbach nm bogey , goblin Allt y Bwbach SN4528 Bryn Bwbach SH6236
bwch nm buck Castell-y-bwch ST2792 Craig-y-bwch SH6414
bwla nm bull Nantybwla SN3821 Alltybwla SN2642
bwlch nm bylchau pl gap , pass Bwlch-y-groes SN2436 Tan-y-bwlch SH6540
bwrdd nm table Bwrdd Arthur SH9667 Bwrdd y Rhyfel SJ1475
bychan adj bechan f bychain pl Morfa Bychan SH5437 Llanfairfechan SH6874
byr adj ber f short Byrgoed SH9837 Byrgwm SO2303

Introduction | A and B |  C  |  D to F  |  G to I |  L to O | P to S | T to Y

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