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Cymraeg
Cymraeg

Glossary

Acknowledgement

The Royal Commission is grateful to both the Ordnance Survey and Bangor University for permission to reproduce this glossary, an expanded version of which can be viewed on the Ordnance Survey website. Particular acknowledgement must be given to Professor Hywel Wyn Owen, Dr Geraint Wyn Jones and Gruffudd Prys of Bangor University who worked with the Ordnance Survey to develop their 'Glossary of Welsh place-name elements'.

adj = adjective nf = noun feminine
adv = adverb nm = noun masculine
f = feminine np = noun plural
m = masculine pr = preposition
pl = plural num = number

Glossary of place-name elements

Element English Translation Examples Sound
b- A word starting b may be a mutated form of a word starting p
bach nf , bachau pl nook, corner, bend in a river Bachau SH4383 Eglwys-bach SH8070
Listen to bach
Listen to bachau
bach adj small, little Dre-fach SN5045 Cwm-bach Llechryd SO0254
Listen to bach
bachell nf , bachell pl , bachellau corner, nook, angle Fachell SH9978 Fachell SH5466
Listen to bachell
Listen to bachell
Listen to bachellau
bala nm narrow land between two lakes, outlet of a lake Bala SH9236 Brynbala SN5986
Listen to bala
ban nf , bannau pl peak, beacon Pen y Bannau SN7466 Rhydybannau SN5251
Listen to ban
Listen to bannau
banc nm bank, hill, slope Bancyfelin SN3218 Pen-y-banc SN4037
Listen to banc
bangor nf (ecclesiastical) settlement enclosed within a wattled fence Bangor SH5771 Bangor Teifi SN3840
Listen to bangor
banadl pl , banal , banhadlen nf broom Cefn-banadl SN6462 Bronbanadl SN6469
Listen to banadl
Listen to banal
Listen to banhadlen
banhadlog nf broom patch Maesbanadlog SN7067 Banhadlog SN9780
Listen to banhadlog
bannog adj high, horned, turreted Bron-Bannog SJ0352 Cefnbannog SJ0251
Listen to bannog
banw nm young pig Blaen Cwm Banw SO0722 Nant-y-banw ST4097
Listen to banw
bar nm top, summit Crug-y-bar SN6537 Bryn-y-bar SH2875
Listen to bar
barcud nm kite, buzzard Carreg y Barcud SM7724 Llwyn-y-barcud SN4109
Listen to barcud
bardd nm , beirdd pl bard Llofft-y-bardd SN8953 Cwrtbrynbeirdd SN6618
Listen to bardd
Listen to beirdd
bargod nm boundary (eaves) Bargoed ST1499 Bargod Taf ST1098
Listen to bargod
batin , bating
Listen to batin
Listen to bating
baw nm dirt Pig y Baw SN0140 Bryn y Baw SJ1678
Listen to baw
bedd nm , beddau pl grave Beddgelert SH5948 Beddau ST0685
Listen to bedd
Listen to beddau
bedw pl , bedwen nf birch Craigyfedwen SH7576 Berthyfedwen SN3441
Listen to bedw
Listen to bedwen
bedwlwyn nm birch grove Bedwlwyn SJ2236 Bedwlwyncoch SN8823
Listen to bedwlwyn
beidr nf lane, path Penfeidr SN1750 Penyfeidr SM8726
Listen to beidr
beili nm , beiliau pl bailey Beili SN3827 Beili-glas SO3010
Listen to beili
Listen to beiliau
bela nm , bele marten, wild beast Trebela ST4298 Clunbele SN3433
Listen to bela
Listen to bele
bendigaid adj blessed Llanfendigaid SH5605 Pontrhydfendigaid SN7366
Listen to bendigaid
berw nm rush of water Berw-ddu SN9602 Berw-uchaf SH4671
Listen to berw
betin nm , beting , bietin , bieting pared and burnt land Cefn-betingau SN6601 Batingau SJ0658
Listen to betin
Listen to beting
Listen to bietin
Listen to bieting
betws nm chapel Betws Bledrws SN5952 Betws-y-coed SH7956
Listen to betws
beudy nm cow-house Beudiau SN5549 Beudy-mawr SH3133
Listen to beudy
bid nm quickset hedge Carreg Fidwen SH6481 Twyn y Fidffawydd SO1102
Listen to bid
blaen nm , blaenau pl source of river or stream; highland Blaenau Ffestiniog SH7045 Blaengarw SS9092
Listen to blaen
Listen to blaenau
blaidd nm wolf Cae'r-blaidd SN5133 Castell-y-blaidd SO1279
Listen to blaidd
bod nm/f abode, dwelling Bodedern SH3380 Meifod SJ1512
Listen to bod
bol nm , bola belly, swelling Rhos-y-bol SH4288 Cors-y-bol SH3784
Listen to bol
Listen to bola
bon nm stock, stump, base Bon-y-maen SS6895 Bon-yr-on SJ0646
Listen to bon
boncen , boncyn , poncen , poncyn
Listen to boncen
Listen to boncyn
Listen to poncen
Listen to poncyn
braenar nm , branar n , brynar f fallow land Mynydd Branar SH8771 Braenarauduon SN7246
Listen to braenar
Listen to branar
Listen to brynar
braich nm/f ridge, arm Pen-y-braich SJ0316 Braich Anelog SH1427
Listen to braich
brain pl , brân nf crow Cwm-brân ST2995 Llanfihangel Nant Brân SN9434
Listen to brain
bras adj , breision pl big, fat, rich Bryn-bras SH8543 Maen Bras SH9239
Listen to bras
Listen to breision
bre nf hill Pen-bre SN4201 Moelfre SH5186
Listen to bre
brenin nm king Rhodiad-y-brenin SM7627 Plas y Brenin SH7157
Listen to brenin
brest nf hill-breast Brest Cwm-Llwyd SN7019 Brestbaily SN9838
Listen to brest
braith f , brith adj speckled; coarse Brithdir SH7719 Pontllan-fraith ST1896
Listen to braith
Listen to brith
briw nm (adj) broken, shattered Briwnant SH8402 Carn Briw SN0537
Listen to briw
bro nf region; vale, lowland Llanbedr-y-fro ST0876 Rhyd-y-fro SN7105
Listen to bro
bron nf , bronnydd pl hill-breast (breast) Bronydd SO2245 Brongest SN3245
Listen to bron
Listen to bronnydd
brwyn pl , brwynen nf rush Brwynen SJ0321 Cwmbrwyn SN2512
Listen to brwyn
Listen to brwynen
brwynog nf place of rushes, marsh Brwynog SH7564 Brwynog SH3586
Listen to brwynog
brech f , brych adj speckled Brechfa SN5230 Llanfrechfa ST3193
Listen to brech
Listen to brych
bryn nm , bryniau pl hill Bryn-berian SN1035 Llanbryn-mair SH8902
Listen to bryn
Listen to bryniau
bryncyn nm hillock Bryncyn-felen SJ2019 Bryncyn-hydfa SH3847
Listen to bryncyn
buarth nm , buarthau pl farm-yard; pen Buarth Berran SH5764 Buarth y Caerau SO0713
Listen to buarth
Listen to buarthau
buches nf milking-fold (herd) Buches y Foelortho SJ0421 Fuches SN8489
Listen to buches
budr adj dirty, mucky Nant Budr SH7435 Rhyd-fudr SN6567
Listen to budr
bugail nm , bugeiliaid , bugelydd pl shepherd Bugeildy SO1979 Tafarn-y-Bugail SN2546
Listen to bugail
Listen to bugeiliaid
Listen to bugelydd
bustach nm , bustych pl bullock Nant y Bustach SN8153 Cwm Bustach SH8502
Listen to bustach
Listen to bustych
buchod pl , buwch nf , gwartheg cow; cattle Cas-fuwch SN0229 Cwm y Fuwch SS9490
Listen to buchod
Listen to buwch
Listen to gwartheg
bwbach nm bogey, goblin Allt y Bwbach SN4528 Bryn Bwbach SH6236
Listen to bwbach
bwch nm buck Castell-y-bwch ST2792 Craig-y-bwch SH6414
Listen to bwch
bwla nm bull Nantybwla SN3821 Alltybwla SN2642
Listen to bwla
bwlch nm , bylchau pl gap, pass Bwlch-y-groes SN2436 Tan-y-bwlch SH6540
Listen to bwlch
Listen to bylchau
bwrdd nm table Bwrdd Arthur SH9667 Bwrdd y Rhyfel SJ1475
Listen to bwrdd
bechan f , bychain pl , bychan adj small, little Morfa Bychan SH5437 Llanfairfechan SH6874
Listen to bechan
Listen to bychain
Listen to bychan
ber f , byr adj short Byrgoed SH9837 Byrgwm SO2303
Listen to ber
Listen to byr