The English traveller, in passing through North Wales, will find the
following Welsh terms frequently occur in the names of places; to which
are subjoined their significations in English.
_Ab_, or _Ap_, a prefix to proper names, signifying the son of
_Aber_, the fall of one water into another, a confluence.
_Am_, about, around.
_Ar_, upon, bordering upon.
_Avon_, or _Afon_, a river.
_Bach_, little, small.
_Ban_, high, lofty, tall.
_Bedd_, a grave or sepulchre.
_Bettws_, a station between hill and vale.
_Blaen_, a point or end.
_Bôd_, a residence.
_Braich_, a branch, an arm.
_Bron_, the breast, the slope of a hill.
_Bryn_, a hill, a mount.
_Bwlch_, a gap, defile, or pass.
_Bychan_, little, small.
_Cader_, a hill-fortress, a chair.
_Cae_, an inclosure, a hedge.
_Cantref_, a hundred of a shire, a district.
_Caer_, a city, a fort, a defensive wall.
_Capel_, a chapel.
_Carn_, a heap.
_Carnedd_, a heap of stones.
_Careg_, a stone.
_Castell_, a castle, fortress.
_Cefn_, ridge, the upper side, the back.
_Cell_, a cell; also a grove.
_Cil_, (pronounced keel) a retreat, a recess.
_Clawdd_, a hedge, a dyke.
_Clogwyn_, a precipice.
_Côch_, red.
_Coed_, a wood.
_Cors_, a bog or fen.
_Craig_, a rock or crag.
_Croes_, a cross.
_Cwm_, a valley, vale, or glen.
_Dinas_, a city, or fort, a fortified place.
_Dôl_, a meadow or dale, in the bend of the river.
_Drws_, a door-way, a pass.
_Dû_, black.
_Dwfr_, or _Dwr_, water.
_Dyffryn_, a valley.
_Eglwys_, a church.
_Ffordd_, a way, a road, a passage.
_Ffynnon_, a well, a spring.
_Gallt_, (mutable into _Allt_) a cliff, an ascent, the side of a hill.
_Garth_, a hill bending round.
_Glàn_, a brink or shore.
_Glâs_, bluish, or grayish green.
_Glyn_, a glen or valley through which a river runs.
_Gwern_, a watery meadow.
_Gwydd_, a wood.
_Gwyn_, white, fair.
_Gwys_, a summons.
_Havod_, a summer residence.
_Is_, lower, inferior, nether.
_Llan_, church, a smooth area, an inclosure.
_Llwyn_, a grove.
_Llyn_, a lake, a pool.
_Maen_, a stone.
_Maes_, a plain, an open field.
_Mawr_, great, large.
_Melin_, a mill.
_Moel_, a smooth conical hill.
_Mynydd_, a mountain.
_Nant_, a ravine, a brook.
_Newydd_, new, fresh.
_Pant_, a hollow, a valley.
_Pen_, a head, a summit; also chief, or end.
_Pentref_, a village, a hamlet.
_Pistyll_, a spout, a cataract.
_Plâs_, a hall or palace.
_Plwyf_, a parish.
_Pont_, a bridge.
_Porth_, a ferry, a port, a gateway.
_Pwll_, a pit, a pool.
_Rhaiadr_, a cataract.
_Rhiw_, an ascent.
_Rhôs_, a moist plain or meadow.
_Rhŷd_, a ford.
_Sarn_, a causeway, a pavement.
_Swydd_, a shire; also an office.
_Tàl_, the front or head; also tall.
_Tàn_, under.
_Traeth_, a sand or shore.
_Tre_, or _Tref_, a home, a town.
_Tri_, three.
_Troed_, a foot, the skirt of a hill.
_Twr_, a tower.
_Tŷ_, a house.
_Waun_ (from _Gwaun_), a meadow, downs.
_Y_, the, of.
_Yn_, in, at, into.
_Ynys_, an island.
_Ystrad_, a vale, a dale.
_Yspytty_, a hospital, an almshouse.