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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
tafarn nm/f , tafarnau pl tavern Pentre Tafarn-y-fedw SH8162 Tafarnygelyn SJ1861
Listen to tafarn
Listen to tafarnau
tafol np dock plants Tafolgraig SN6597 Tafolwern SH8902
Listen to tafol
tafolog nf place where dock grows Blaen-Tafolog SH8909 Tafolog SH8909
Listen to tafolog
tail nm dung, manure Bryn Tail ST0989 Bryntail SN9187
Listen to tail
tâl nm end, top Tal-y-bont SN6589 Talacre SJ1284
Listen to tâl
talar nf headland (of field) Troedrhiwdalar SN9553 Dalarwen SN7850
Listen to talar
talch nm fragment, pounded grain
Cefnbryntalch SO1796 Bryntalch SO1795
Listen to talch
talwrn nm , talyrni pl , tylyrni bare exposed hill-side, open space, threshing floor, cockpit Talwrn SH4977 Talwrn SJ2947
Listen to talwrn
Listen to talyrni
Listen to tylyrni
tan pr , dan under, beneath Tan-y-fron SH9564 Tan-y-bwlch SH6540
Listen to dan
Listen to tan
tarren nf , tarreni pl rocky tump Nant Tarren-fedw-ddu SN7893 Tarren Bwlch-gwyn SN8193
Listen to tarren
Listen to tarreni
tarw nm , teirw pl bull Crugtarw SN3734 Mynydd Tarw SJ1132
Listen to tarw
Listen to teirw
tas nf stack, rick Pen Tas-eithin SN5743 Y Das SO1932
Listen to tas
teg adj fair Maes-teg SS8591 Llan-teg SN1810
Listen to teg
telyn nf harp Rhyd-y-delyn Fawr SH5275 Caedelyn SN5806
Listen to telyn
tew adj thick, fat Cors Tewgyll SN1331 Llwyntew SN9428
Listen to tew
th- A word starting th may be a mutated form of a word starting t
tir nm land, territory Tirabad SO8741 Brithdir SH7719
Listen to tir
tlawd adj , tlodion pl pauper, poor Tyddyn-tlodion SJ1753 Cae Tlodion SH5925
Listen to tlawd
Listen to tlodion
tom nf , tomen pile, muck-heap, mound, hillock Domgae SJ2719 Tomen y Meirw SJ1638
Listen to tom
Listen to tomen
ton nf/m , tonnau , tonnen pl grassland (left unplowed), lea Ton-teg ST0986 Tonypandy SS9992
Listen to ton
Listen to tonnau
Listen to tonnen
top nm top Top-rhiw-fawr SJ1117 Top-y-fron SJ2769
Listen to top
tor nm break, gap Tor Glas SO0319 Torbant SM8430
Listen to tor
torglwyd nf door-hurdle, gate Maestorglwyd SO2137 Dorglwyd SN6500
Listen to torglwyd
traeth nm beach, strand, shore Malltraeth SH4068 Trefdraeth SN0539
Listen to traeth
trallwm , trallwng nm wet low-lying land Y Trallwng SJ2207 Trallwng SN9629
Listen to trallwm
Listen to trallwng
traws adj & nm cross, transverse Trawsgoed SN6773 Trawsfynydd SH7035
Listen to traws
tref nf settlement, hamlet, town Tre-garth SH6067 Trefalun SJ3856
Listen to tref
tair f , tri num three Tri Chrugiau SN9343 Llantrisant ST0483
Listen to tair
Listen to tri
trindod nf trinity Llandrindod SO0561 Ffynnon-y-drindod SS9373
Listen to trindod
troed nm/f base, bottom, (foot) Allt Troed-y-rhiw SN5235 Troed-rhiw-cymmer SN7648
Listen to troed
tros pr over Trosnant SO0425 Tros-y-waen SH5666
Listen to tros
trum nm , trumiau pl ridge Trum Gelli SH6501 Cefngeudrum SN7727
Listen to trum
Listen to trumiau
trwyn nm point, cape, (nose) Trwyn Bendro SM6923 Trwynhwrddyn SM7327
Listen to trwyn
twlch nm , tylchau pl tump, knoll Cefn-twlch SJ1000 Dôl y Twlch SN8074
Listen to twlch
Listen to tylchau
twll nm , tyllau pl hole, pit Twll-y-clawdd SH5073 Ty'n-Twll SJ1055
Listen to twll
Listen to tyllau
twmpath nm tump, hillock Waun Twmpath SN4602 Twmpath SO0743
Listen to twmpath
twr nm tower Tre-twr SO1821 Twr SH2282
twrch nm , tyrchod pl boar Twrch Fechan SN7819 Blaen-Twrch SN6849
Listen to twrch
Listen to tyrchod
twyn nm , twyni pl hillock, knoll Twynrodyn SO0505 Pen-twyn ST5209
Listen to twyn
Listen to twyni
tai pl , ty nm house Ty-croes SH3472 Pentre Ty-gwyn SN8135
Listen to tai
ty'n , tyddyn nm , tyn small farm, holding Tyn-y-groes SH7771 Ty'n-y-ffridd SJ1130
Listen to tyddyn
Listen to tyn
tyle nm/f hill, ascent Maestyle SN5939 Mynydd Tyle-coch SS9396
Listen to tyle
tylluan nf owl Rhosdylluan SH8529 Cwmdylluan SN9588
Listen to tylluan
tyno nm plain, meadow Tynohir SN7098 Gwern Tyno SH8477
Listen to tyno
tywarchen nf , tyweirch pl , tywyrch nf sod, turf Llyn-y-dywarchen SH5653 Penrhiwtywarch SN7144
Listen to tywarchen
Listen to tyweirch
Listen to tywyrch
tywyll adj dark, gloomy Tywyllnodwydd SH7102 Cildywyll SN2212
Listen to tywyll
tywyn nm sandy-shore, sand-dune Tywyn SH7878 Llanfihangel-yn-nhywyn SH3176
Listen to tywyn