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Dozens of placenames in Welsh, some hinting at ancient legends, others telling rich stories of how people used to live, have been submitted to a project designed to make sure they are preserved.
The Welsh government appealed for people to add historical names that may be missing from online maps so they could be saved for future generations. Within two weeks, about 200 submissions were received, including local Welsh language names for fields, hills and areas.
Among the names submitted so far are:
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Dôl y Tylwyth Teg (Fairy Folk Meadow/Fairies’ Meadow) in Aberfan, south Wales. The person who sent the suggestion said the field was known by the Welsh name by people who spoke Cymraeg, the Welsh language. A nearby school that teaches through Welsh refers to the field by this name and uses it for events.
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Caeau Maelorddin (Fields of Maelor City) near Aberystwyth, west Wales, are a collection of fields near Tanybwlch beach. The contributor said his late grandfather recalled many people referring to a group of now individually named fields as Caeau Maelorddin. They were close to Pen Dinas, the hill where the giant Maelor Gawr was said to live.
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Ffynnon Glog (Rock Well) near Rhyd, in Gwynedd, north Wales, is a hidden well in a roadside bank, according to the contributor. The water in the well was once used as a remedy for ailments and takes its name from Y Glog, a prominent rocky outcrop nearby.
This year, research found that most changes to property names do not involve a change in language, but when they do they are three times more likely to be renamed from English to Welsh than vice versa.
Other Welsh government priorities include issuing clearer guidance for local authorities and organisations responsible for placenames and commissioning research into the names of physical features in the landscape, such as hills and streams.
The government says the project builds on work by mapping projects such as Mapio Cymru and the List of Historic Placenames, as well as by public bodies such as Eryri and Bannau Brycheiniog national parks.
The Welsh language secretary, Mark Drakeford, said: “Placenames tell the story of who we are and where we’ve come from. These new measures will ensure that our Welsh placenames – from legendary mountains like Cader Idris to Felin Wen, an old mill that tells the story of a small community, are protected for future generations while making it easier for everyone to get involved.”
