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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
g- A word starting g may be a mutated form of a word starting c
gafl nf , geifl pl fork Bwlch yr Eifl SH3645 Yr Eifl SH3644
Listen to gafl
Listen to geifl
gafr nf , geifr pl goat Corngafr SN2722 Cae'r-geifr SH1628
Listen to gafr
Listen to geifr
gallt
Listen to gallt
gardd nf , garddau , gerddi pl garden; enclosure Yr Ardd-lîn SJ2615 Ardderfin SN3215
Listen to gardd
Listen to garddau
Listen to gerddi
garth nm promontory, hill, enclosure Llanfihangel-ar-arth SN4539 Penarth ST1871
Listen to garth
garw adj coarse, rough Blaengarw SS9092 Bryn Garw SN8077
Listen to garw
gast nf bitch Cefngast SN9147 Cwm Gast SH8509
Listen to gast
gefail nf , efail smithy Cefn-y-gefail SN7838 Efail-newydd SH3535
Listen to efail
Listen to gefail
geirw np rush of waters, waterfall Pont Aber-Geirw SH7629 Geirw SN7727
Listen to geirw
genau nm pass, opening of a valley Llanfihangel Genau'r-glyn SN6286 Coedgenau SN9933
Listen to genau
glais nm/f brook Y Glais SN7000 Dulais SS6190
Listen to glais
glan nf river-bank, hillock Glan-Clwyd SJ0573 Glan Adda SH5770
Listen to glan
glas adj , gleision pl green, when referring to grass, pasture or leaves; or blue, when relating to the sea or air Glasallt-fawr SN7330 Bryn Glas SJ0877
Listen to glas
Listen to gleision
glo nm charcoal, coal Nant-y-glo SO1910 Cwm-y-glo SH5562
Listen to glo
glyn nm deep valley, glen Glyn-hir SN6415 Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr SH9949
Listen to glyn
godre nm edge or foot of hill Godre'r-graig SN7507 Godreaman SO0100
Listen to godre
gof nm smith Rhyd-y-gof-isaf SN5552 Bron-y-gof SJ0856
Listen to gof
gofer nm rill, overflow of a well Gofer SH8472 Blaengofer SN3425
Listen to gofer
gogof , ogof
Listen to gogof
Listen to ogof
golau adj light, bright Alltgolau SN5125 Wernolau SN3617
Listen to golau
gorffwysfa nf resting place Pengorffwysfa SH4692 Gorffwysfa SH2131
Listen to gorffwysfa
goror nm/f , gororau pl , gororion boundary Gororion SN8773 Oror SJ0847
Listen to goror
Listen to gororau
Listen to gororion
gorsedd nf tumulus, barrow, hillock Gorsedd SJ1576 Yr Orsedd SJ3657
Listen to gorsedd
graean nm gravel Graeanryd SJ2156 Bwlch y Graean SN3049
Listen to graean
gris nm , grisiau pl step Tanygrisiau SH6845 Esgair Gris SN8868
Listen to gris
Listen to grisiau
gro nm/f gravel; gravel hill Gronant SJ0983 Ro-wen SH7571
Listen to gro
grofft nf , grofftau pl croft Grofft SH8104 Cefn Rofft SJ0049
Listen to grofft
Listen to grofftau
grug nm heath, heather Cefn-y-grug SO1664 Grugfryn SH8273
Listen to grug
grwn nm ridge between two furrows, ridge in a field Grwnamlwg SJ1515 Grwn-oer SJ0218
Listen to grwn
gwaelod nm foot of hill, bottom Gwaelod-y-garth ST1183 Gwaelod SJ1416
Listen to gwaelod
gwair nm hay Llwyngwair SN0739 Pant-y-gwair SN6067
Listen to gwair
gwal nf , gwaliau pl wall Rhos-y-gwaliau SH9434 Bryn-y-gwalia SJ1924
Listen to gwal
Listen to gwaliau
gwâl nf lair Gwal y Filiast SN1725 Gwal-yr-hwch SN5807
gwar nf ridge (nape of neck) Gwar-y-felin SN9335 Gwarallt SN5458
Listen to gwar
gwartheg np cows, cattle Cors y Gwartheg-llwydion SH8032 Dolgwartheg SN4661
Listen to gwartheg
gwas nm youth, servant Bryn-gwas SS5493 Ynysygwas SS7891
Listen to gwas
gwastad adj flat Gwastad SO2305 Gwastadfryn SH6709
Listen to gwastad
gwastad nm plain Gwastadannas SH6553 Gwastad-mawr ST2989
Listen to gwastad
gwaun nf , gweunydd pl moor, mountain meadow, moor-land field, moor-land field Waunarlwydd SS6095 Abergwaun SM9537
Listen to gwaun
Listen to gweunydd
gwden nf willow-tree, reeds Glangwden SN9688 Dolgwden SN9589
Listen to gwden
gweirglodd nf hay-field, meadow Gweirglodd-gilfach SH8926 Nantyweirglodd SN2332
Listen to gweirglodd
gwely nm bed, resting-place, family land Gwely'r Misgl SS7880 Pen y Gwely SJ2133
Listen to gwely
gwen , gwyn
Listen to gwen
Listen to gwyn
gwenith nm wheat Bryngwenith SS9682 Dolgwenith SN9887
Listen to gwenith
gwerdd , gwyrdd
Listen to gwerdd
Listen to gwyrdd
gwerfa nf cool spot on mountain side where cattle or sheep seek shade Werfa SS9194 Bwlch y Werfa SS9283
Listen to gwerfa
gwern nf , gwernog place where alders grow, swamp Cilgwern SO2414 Pengwern SJ0176
Listen to gwern
Listen to gwernog
gwern pl , gwernen nf alder tree Gwernaffield SJ2064 Gwernymynydd SJ2162
Listen to gwern
Listen to gwernen
gwiber nf viper Carregwiber SO0859 Allt y wiber SN4628
Listen to gwiber
gwig nf , gwigau pl grove, wood Melin-y-wig SJ0348 Cefn-wig SN4761
Listen to gwig
Listen to gwigau
gwinllan nf grove (vineyard) Marianywinllan SH6270 Winllan SJ2121
Listen to gwinllan
gwlad nf region Coed-y-wlad SJ2209 Cors-y-wlad SH4447
Listen to gwlad
gwleb f , gwlyb adj wet Gwlybycoed SH4689 Gelli-wlyb SN8824
Listen to gwleb
Listen to gwlyb
gwndwn , gwyndwn
Listen to gwndwn
Listen to gwyndwn
gwrach nf hag, witch Rhyd-y-wrach SN1619 Blaen-gwrach SN8605
Listen to gwrach
gwraidd pl , gwreiddiau , gwreiddyn nm root Gwreiddyn SH9474 Gwreiddiau SJ0419
Listen to gwraidd
Listen to gwreiddiau
Listen to gwreiddyn
gwrych nm (quickset) hedge Gwrych Bedw SJ1048 Hen Wrych SH9278
Listen to gwrych
gwryd nm fathom Llangwryd-isaf SJ2337 Nantygwryd SH6856
Listen to gwryd
gwter , cwter
Listen to cwter
Listen to gwter
Gwyddel nm , Gwyddelod , Gwyddyl pl Irishman Gwyddel SH1425 Gwyddelwern SJ0746
Listen to Gwyddel
Listen to Gwyddelod
Listen to Gwyddyl
gwydd , gwydden nf pl tree Llyn y Grinwydden SJ0206 Glanwydden SH8180
Listen to gwydden
gwyddfa nf mound, tumulus Yr Wyddfa SH6054 Graig Trewyddfa SS6697
Listen to gwyddfa
gwylfa nf look-out point Gwylfa Hiraethog SH9459 Foel Wylfa SJ1933
Listen to gwylfa
gwen f , gwyn adj , gwynion pl white Gaerwen SH4871 Bron-gwyn SN2843
Listen to gwen
Listen to gwyn
Listen to gwynion
gwndwn , gwyndwn nm grassland, lea Gwndwn SN4737 Gwndwngwyn SM9027
Listen to gwndwn
Listen to gwyndwn
gwynt nm wind Tre-gwynt SJ0306 Moel y Gwynt SS8598
Listen to gwynt
gwerdd f , gwyrdd adj , gwyrddion pl green Dolaugwyrddon SN5546 Dolwerdd SN4924
Listen to gwerdd
Listen to gwyrdd
Listen to gwyrddion
gyrfa nf racecourse Llannerch-yrfa SN8355 Pant-yr-yrfa ST2593
Listen to gyrfa