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Early Welsh Territorial Suffixes
Early Welsh Territorial Suffixes
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For convenience the examples will be grouped under three headings, (1) provinces
and other major units, (2) cantreds and commotes, (3) townships and/or parishes.
Considerations of space have forbidden full documentary evidence and references
have been cut to a minimum.
1. Provinces, etc.
-IN, -ING
CADELLING 'people of Cadell' (the fifth century Cadell Ddyrnllug of Powys,
or Cadell ap Rhodri Mawr (d. c. 909). See G s.n.
COELING 'people of Coel Godebog'. See G s.n.
CYNDRWYNIN 'people of Cyndrwyn' of Powys. See G s.n.
CYNFERCHING 'people of Cynfarch Gul ap Meirhion\ See G s.n., TYP 322.
The area was that of Rheged in the old North.
GLYWYSING [Glywys]. Glywys (fifth century) was the father of Gwynllyw and
grandfather of Cadog, and his territory extended at least from the river Tawe
to the river Wysg (Usk) in south east Wales. See HW i. 2734-, G s.n.
-IOG (-IAWG)
BRYCHEINIOG [Brychan]. Cf. HW i 270-2, G s.n., TYP 288-9. Brychan,
of Irish descent, ruled over an area which corresponds to the modern county of
Brecknock with the exception of the nothern district of Buellt.
were well aware of the force of the suffix -ion, and used it as an epithet, as in
Madog Madogion, Meilir Meilirion, etc.
-J
ARWYSTLI [Arwystl] a cantref of Powys. It occurs in the form arguistli in
Annales Cambriae s.a. 904 (Cy ix 167). See G s.n., Arwystl, cf. LL passim s.n.
Arguistil.
CEDWELI, CYDWELI [Cadwal] a commote of Ystrad Tywi (Carms.). Early
forms are Cetgueli, etc., see G s.n., DP i 200, iii 235, iv 369. Kidwelly is an
anglicised spelling foT the castle and town. The name has aroused amateur
speculation, ranging from Leland's Cattilectus 'Cat's bed' to local popular
etymology like cyd-wely 'co-bed', referring to the two rivers Gwendraeth Fawr
and Gwendraeth Fechan. In the Life of Saint Cadog the name is derived from
Cettil (VSBG 24).
CERI [Car] a commote of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren, now in modern Montgomery
shire. Although Ceri occurs as a personal name in its own right (EANC 132-3)
it would seem preferable to treat the commote name as an example of 4 added
to the name Car. The anglicised form is Kerry. See further DP i 259, iii 249, iv
601, 695.
GWYNYSI [Gwynnys]. This was in the commote of Dinllaen in the Llyn
peninsula. It is Nennius's regio guunnessi, on which see Richards, Trans.
Caerns. Hist. Soc. 1963, 21-27.
40G (4AWG)
ANHUNIOG [Annun] a commote of Ceredigion. See SC 17. It was possibly
named after Annun son of Ceredig, VSBG 320, DP iii 166.
CETHEINIOG [Cathen] a commote of Y Cantref Mawr (Carms.). Cathen is
presumably the same name as that of Llangathen, the church of Cathen ap
Cawrdaf. See HW i 267, DP iii 225.
CYFEILIOG [*Cyfael or *Cyfail] a commote of Powys. It has been suggested
that Cyfeiliog is itself a personal name, but see G s.n., DP i 220, iv 369, 598.
GWYNLLYWIOG > GWYNLLWG [Gwynllyw] a cantref in the kingdom of
Glywysing, see above. Gwynllyw (Gwynlliw) was a son of Glywys. The oldest
form, Guinnliguiauc, Cy ix 167, shows that the original ending was 4awg, 4og.)
The later Wentloog betrays a popular etymology based on Gwent. For forms
see G s.n.
PEBIDIOG [Pebid] one of the seven cantreds of Dyfed, also known as
Dew(i)sland. See DP ii 351.
PEULINIOG [Peulin] a commote of Cantref Gwarthaf (Carms). On Peulin
and Peuliniog see DP ii 388, ECMW 63, 106, LHEB 323.
RHUFONIOG [Rhufawn] a cantref in Gwynedd Is Conwy (Denbs.). Rhufon
was a son of Cunedda (rumaun Cy ix 183).
-IN, 4NG
DOGFEILIN(G) [Dogfael] a commote in the cantref of Dyffryn Clwyd. It
probably originally formed the whole cantref. Dogfael was a son of Cunedda
(docmail Cy ix 183). See G s.n., HW i 241, DP i 201.
DUNODING [Dunawd] a cantref which was later divided into Eifionydd and
Ardudwy. Dunawd was a son of Cunedda (dunaut Cy ix 183). Cf. 1283 'Can
-(I)WG
GWERTHEFYRIWG [Gwerthefyr] a district near Wonastow, Monmouthshire.
The early form is Gvrthebiriuc (LL 201), now Worthybrook cf. BBCS x 299. The
only Gwerthefyr known is the son of Gwrtheyrn (Vortigern).
? LLYTHYFNWG, a commote in Rhwng Gwy a Hafren. The Welsh name
for Gladestry was Llanfair Llythynwg. On the forms see DP i 203, iii 339. The
name is queried because of the possibility that it represents Llwyth Dyfnog or
Dyfnwg, and not a territorial unit in -wg.
-YDD
EIFIONYDD [Eifion], a commote in Dunoding named after Eifion son of
Dunawd son of Cunedda, cf. CY ix 178, HW i 238. For forms see G s.n. There
was a later variant, Eiddionydd.
GWRINYDD [Gwrin] a cantref of Morgannwg. On the form see Richards,
BBCS xviii 383-5. Later variants are Gorfynydd, Gorwennydd, Gronedd.
GWYNIONYDD [Gwynion] a commote of Ceredigion. See HW i 260, SC 19,
DP iv 432. For forms see G s.n
LLEBENYDD [LLEBAN, LLIBAN ?] a commote of Gwent Is Coed. See DP
iv 678-9.
MAELIENYDD [Maelien], a cantref of Rhwng Gwy a Hafren. See HW i 225,
DP i 202, iii 330. The genealogists use a shorter form Mael, and refer to Mael
Maelienydd.
MEFENYDD [*Mafan], a commote of Ceredigion. See SC 15-6, DP iv 485.
MEIRIONYDD [Meirion] a cantref from which Merioneth takes its name.
Meirion was the son of Tybion son of Cunedda (Meriaun, Cy ix 182).
SENGHENNYDD [*Sangan], a commote of Cantref Breiniol in Morgannwg. See
HW i 277, DP i 258, iv 679.
SERWYNNYDD [Serwan / *Serwyn]. According to the Life of Saint Cadog
Serw son of Glywys obtained Seruguunid, a district of Glywysing which may
possibly be represented by Craig Syfyrddin in north Monmouthshire (EANC 86-7).
-AW, (-EIN)
? BERAIN [Bar, Barr], a township in Llanefydd, Denbs. 1334 Beryn SD 63 et
passim; 1583 berrayne PRO LR 2/238 51a.
? HELYGAIN, HELYGEN [? Helyg], a parish in Flintshire=Halkin. See
forms in FPN s.n. This is a very doubtful case.
-7
LLEWENI [Llawen], a township in Henllan, Denbs. See EANC 157.
-IOG
CONYSIOG [Conws], a township in Llanfaelog, Anglesey. It is now represented
by Pencaernisiog. For this Irish name see Inventory Anc. Mon. Anglesey
cxv-cxvi.
-ION
ELEIRNION [Aelhaearn, Elhaearn], township in the parish of Llanaelhaearn,
Caerns. Aelhaearn is the seventh century saint, see LBS i 110, ELL 60.
ESGEIBION [esgob 'bishop'], a township in the parish of Llanynys, Denbs.
This is one of the few examples of adding a territorial suffix to a noun denoting
office or function. With it may be compared Menechi, a lost name near Tenby,
and Llann Menechi near Llandaf, 'land of the monk(s)', LL 124-6, 159. For the
form see Richards, Trans. Denbs. Hist. Soc. 9 pp. 187-8.
FFYNOGION [Ffynnog, Ffonnog], a township in Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd,
Denbs.
LLEFYRION [Llefyr], in Rhoslefyrion, a township of Llan-rhudd, Denbs.
MORFODION [? *Morfawd], a township of Llanidloes, Montgomeryshire. In
the absence of early forms this interpretation is conjectural only. With the
second element of *Morfawd we might possibly compare Bawd in Dinbawd,
Dinbod (1322 Dynbaud Charter Roils iii 442), a castle in Radnorshire. See DP
iii 203, 250.
? MYFYRIAN [Myfyr], a township in Llanidan, Anglesey. For the name cf.
Llangihangel Glyn Myfyr. Myfyrian could < Myfyrion, cf. Llanfeirion > Llan
feirian in the same county.
-YDD
? CEIRIONNYDD [Ceirion], in Llyn Geirionnydd, Caerns. See ELLSG 92,
G s.n.
CRISTIONYDD [Cristion], cf. Cristionydd Cynrig, Cristionydd Fechan, town
ships in Rhiwabon, Denbs.
DETHENYDD [? Dyddien], a township in Llandinam, Montgomeryshire. Cf.
1277/8 Dethenydd WAR 263, 1592 Dythyenith Coleman 120.
? MODRYDD [*Mawdr] a township of Llansbyddyd, Brecknock. This is very
conjectural.
It will have become obvious from the above examples that territorial suffixes
added to personal names form an extremely rich element in a very early stratum
of Welsh onomastics. All the persons who can be identified with varying degrees
of certainty are men who lived between the fifth and tenth centuries. Where the
person cannot be identified, the derivative name itself is often attested in this
early period. This offers strong presumptive evidence that the other unidentified
personal names or unattested place-names may belong to a chronological
stratum c. 400-1000. It is not known when the territorial suffixes ceased to
become viable, but it may be tentatively suggested that this was not later than
the tenth or eleventh centuries.
ABBREVIATIONS
ALW : Ancient Laws and Institutes of Wales, ed. A. Owen. London, 1841.
BBCS : Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies. Cardiff, 1921 ff.
CA : Canu Aneirin, ed. Ifor Williams. Cardiff, 1938.
Coleman : Calendar of Deeds and Documents (Coleman), ed .F. Green. Aberyst
wyth, 1921.
Cy : Y Cymmrodor, London, 1877 //.
DP : The Description of Pembrokeshire, George Owen, 1892-1936.
EANC : Enwau Afonydd a Nentydd Cymru, R. J. Thomas. Cardiff, 1938.
ECMW : The early Christian Monuments of Wales, V. E. Nash-Williams.
Cardiff, 1950.
ELLSG : Enwau Lleoedd Sir Gaernarfon, J. Lloyd Jones, Cardiff, 1928.
ESNW : Edwardian Settlement of North Wales, W. H. Waters, Cardiff.
FRN : Flintshire Place-Names, Ellis Davies. Cardiff, 1959.
G : Geirfa Barddoniaeth Gynnar Gymraeg, J. Lloyd-Jones. Cardiff 1931-1963.
H : Llawysgrif Hendregadredd. Cardiff 1933.
HW : A History of Wales, J. E. Lloyd. London, 1954.
LBS : The Lives of the British Saints, Gould-Fisher, London, 1907-13.
LHEB : Language and History in Early Britain. Edinburgh, 1953.
LL : Liber Landavensis, repr. J. Gwenogvryn Evans. Oxford, 1893.
LW : Littere Wallie, ed. J. Goronwy Edwards. Cardiff, 1940.
MA : The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales. Denbigh, 1870.
OG : Owen Glendower, J. E. Lloyd. Oxford, 1931.
PRO : Public Record Office.
RBE : Red Book of the Exchequer, ii (Rolls Series).
SC : The Story of Ceredigion, J. E. Lloyd. Cardiff, 1937.
SD : Survey of the Honour of Denbigh, Vinogradoff and Morgan. London, 1914.
7TP : Trioedd Ynys Prydein, Rachel Bromwich. Cardiff, 1961.
VSBG : Vitae Sanctorum Britanniae et Genealogiae, A. W. Wade-Evans.
Cardiff, 1944.
WAR : Welsh Assize Rolls, J. Conway Davies. Cardiff 1940.
WCO : Welsh Christian Origins, A. W. Wade-Evans. Oxford, 1934.