Welsh Place Name Elements
A list of words found in Welsh place-names with their English translations.
Many Welsh place names are made up of several elements.
Literally translated the name Rhosllannerchrugog comes from:
- rhos "moor"
- llannerch "glade"
- grugog "heathery"
hence Moor of the Heathery Glade. Unsurprisingly it is often known simply as Rhos!
| Index: | A B C Ch D E F Ff G H I L Ll M N O P R Rh S T Th U V W Y |
A
| Abaty | an abbey |
| Aber | mouth (coastal), or confluence (inland), of a river |
| Adfa | border, recess, place to drive animals |
| Adwy | a gap, pass |
| Ael | brow of a hill |
| Afon | a river |
| Allt | a wooded hill or cliff |
| Aran | a mountain ridge |
| Arian | silver |
| Aur | gold |
| Awel | a breeze, wind |
B
| Bach | small, little |
| Bala | where a river flows from a lake |
| Banc or Bonc | a bank, hillock |
| Bedw | birch trees |
| Beili | a yard, enclosure, bailey |
| Berllan | an orchard |
| Berth | a copse, hedge |
| Berthi | hedges |
| Betws | an oratory, prayer house, bede house |
| Blaen | head of a valley, source of a river |
| Blaenau | valley heads |
| Bont | a bridge |
C
| Cae | a field |
| Capel | a chapel |
| Carn | a heap of stones |
| Carreg | a rock |
| Cwrt | a court |
D
| Dalen | a leaf |
| Dan | under |
| De | south |
| Derwen | an oak tree |
| Derw | oak trees |
| Dinas | a fort |
| Dol | a meadow, river meadow |
| Domen | a mound |
| Dre (mutation of 'tre') | a town, home |
| Dryw | a wren |
| Du | black |
| Dŵr or Dŵfr | water |
| Dyffryn | a valley |
| Dyserth | a retreat |
E
| Efail | a smithy |
| Eglwys | a church |
| Eithin | gorse |
| Eos | a nightingale |
| Erw | an acre |
| Esgair | a mountain ridge |
F
| Fach (mutation of 'bach') | little, small |
| Fan (mutation of 'ban') | a peak |
| Fechan (feminine mutation of 'bychan') | little, small |
| Fedwen (mutation of 'bedwen') | a birch tree |
| Fedw (mutation of 'bedw') | birch trees |
| Felen (feminine mutation of 'melyn') | yellow |
| Felin (mutation of 'melin') | a mill |
| Foel (mutation of 'moel') | a bare topped hill |
| Fron (mutation of 'bron') | a hillside |
| Fychan (mutation of 'bychan') | little, small |
Ff
| Ffin | a border, limit |
| Ffordd | a road |
| Ffyrdd | roads |
| Ffos | a ditch, brook |
| Ffridd | a sheepwalk, mountain pasture |
| Ffrith | a sheepwalk |
| Ffrwd | a stream |
| Ffynnon | well |
G
| Gaer (mutation of 'caer') | a fort, camp |
| Gallt | a wooded hill or cliff |
| Garn | a heap of stones |
| Gelli | a grove, small wood |
| Glan | a river bank |
| Glyn | a glen |
| Goch (mutation of 'coch') | red |
| Godre | foot of a hill, edge, border |
| Graig (mutation of 'craig') | a rock, crag |
| Gwynt | wind |
H
| Hafan | a haven |
| Hafod | a summer dwelling and pasture |
| Helyg | willow trees |
| Hen | old, ancient |
| Hendre | winter dwelling |
| Heol | a road |
| Hir | long |
| Hwylfa | a pathway, entry |
| Hydd | a stag |
I
| Isel | low |
| Is | lower |
| Isaf | lowest |
| Issa | lowest |
L
| Lan (mutation of 'glan') | a bank, shore |
| Las (mutation of 'glas') | blue, verdant, lush, green |
Ll
| Llaith | wet |
| Llan | an enclosure, church, church village |
| Llawr | a valley floor |
| Llech | a flagstone, flat stone, slate |
| Llethyr | a slope |
| Lloches | a shelter |
| Lluest | a small hill farm, hut |
| Llwyd | holy, sanctified, grey |
| Llwyn | a bush, grove |
| Llyn | a lake |
| Llys | a palace, court, enclosure |
M
| Maen | a cut stone, rock |
| Maes | a field |
| Mawn | peat |
| Mawr | big, large, great |
| Meifod | a halfway house |
| Meity | a halfway house |
| Melin | a mill |
| Melyn | yellow |
| Merthyr | a martyr |
| Moel | a bare topped hill |
| Môr | sea |
| Morfa | sea marsh |
| Mur | a wall |
| Murddyn | a ruin |
| Mwnt | a mound, hill |
| Mynach | a monk |
| Mynydd | a mountain |
N
| Nant | a stream, brook |
| Neuadd | a hall, mansion |
| Newydd | new |
O
| Ochr | side, edge |
| Oer | cold |
| Ogof | a cave |
| Onnen | an ash tree |
P
| Pandy | a fulling mill |
| Pant | a hollow |
| Parc | a park |
| Pen | head, end, top |
| Pentref or Pentre | a village, hamlet |
| Perth | a copse, hedge |
| Pistyll | a spring, well |
| Plas | a hall, place, mansion |
| Pont | a bridge |
| Porth | a landing place, gateway |
Rh
| Rhaeadr | a waterfall |
| Rhiw | a hillside |
| Rhodwydd | an embankment, earthwork |
| Rhos | a moorland |
| Rhyd | a ford |
| Rhyn | a headland |
S
| Sant | a saint |
| Sarn | a causeway, paved road |
| Sarnau | causeways |
| Swydd | a district |
| Sych | dry |
T
| Tafarn | an inn |
| Tai | houses |
| Tal | end, front |
| Tarren | a rocky hillside, cliff |
| Teg | fair |
| Tir | land |
| Tomen | a mound, heap |
| Ton | lay land |
| Traeth | beach, shore |
| Tref or Tre | a town, habitation |
| Tro | a turn, bend |
| Troed | foot, base |
| Tros | over |
| Trwyn | a promontory |
| Twll | a hollow |
| Tŷ | a house |
| Tyddyn | a farmstead |
| Ty'n | a farmstead |
U
| Uch | higher |
| Uchaf | highest |
| Uchel | high |
| Uwch | above |
W
| Waun | a moorland field |
| Waen | a moorland field |
| Wen (feminine mutation of 'gwyn') | white, fair, blessed |
| Werdd (feminine mutation of 'gwyrdd') | green |
| Wern (mutation of 'gwern') | a marsh, alder trees |
| Wig (mutation of 'gwig') | a haven, wooded land |
| Wrth | near to, by |
Y
| Y | the |
| Yr (before vowels) | the |
| Yn | in |
| Ynys | an island |
| Ysbyty | a hospital, hostel |
| Ysgol | a school |
| Ysgubor | a barn |
| Ystrad | a vale, wide valley |
| Ystryd | a street |
| Ystum | a bend, curve |
| Ystwyth | pliable, agile |