A SHORT WELSH DICTIONARY

The Welsh language is very descriptive. A lot of names and place-names are made up of a description of the person or place, examples being ‘Pengwern – head of the swamp’ or ‘Betswy Coed – chapel in the trees’. The Welsh language does not use the letters J, K, Q, V, or Z but makes up for this by having sounds comprising of combined letters, such as ll, sounding as lth, dd sounding as th. They have additional vowels such as w, pronounced oo, y pronounced er. The letter u is pronounced i as in kit but with a sort of swing to it. There is often not a single word in English as a true meaning of a Welsh word but the following meanings may be useful :-

Welsh	English	Welsh	English
abaty	abbey	aber	mouth (of river)
allt	wooded slope	ar	on
bach	nook, end, small	ban	peak, crest
bangor	monastery land	bedd	grave
betws	chapel of ease	blaen	head, upland
braich	ridge	bro	region, vale, home
bryn	hill, bank	bwlch	pass, gap
caban	cabin, hut	cader	seat, stronghold
caer	fort, camp	canol	middle
carn	cairn, rock	carreg	stone, rock
cefn	ridge	celli	grove, copse
ceunant	ravine	cil	corner, retreat
cives	citizen	cla	clan
classis	monastery	clawdd	dyke
clun	meadow, moor	coch	red
cors	bog	craig	crag
cwm	valley, corrie	cwrt	court
Cymru	Wales	dan	under, below
dda	good	derw	oak
dinas	hill, fort, stronghold	diserth	hermitage
drwg	pass, gap	du	black
dyffryn	valley	efail	smithy
eithin	gorse	erw	acre
esgob	bishop	ffin	boundary
ffos	ditch, trench	ffrid	sheep walk
ffynnon	spring, well	gallt	slope, wood
garw	rough	glan	river bank
glyn	glen, valley	goetre	woodland
gwelybed	family home	gwern	swamp
gwyn	white, fair	gwyrdd	green
haul	sun	helygen	willow
hendre	winter dwelling	hoel, hewl	road
is	below	isaf	lower
llain	thin strip of land	llan	place of church
llawr	flat valley bottom	llech	slab, slate
llety	small house	llethr	slope
lluest	hut, cottage	llwyd	grey
llwch, llyn	lake	llys	court, palace
maenor	manor, estate	maes	plain, open field
mawr	big, great	melin	mill
meri	mere	merthyr	burial place
moel	bare hill	morfa	march, seashore
myn	ore, mine	mynachlog	monastery
nannau	brooks	nant	stream, vale
odyn	kiln	onnen	ash tree
pant	hollow, valley	parc	park
penrhyn	promatory	pentre	village, hamlet
pont	bridge	porth	gateway, harbour
pystyll	waterfall	rhiw	hillock
rhyd	ford	sain	saint
sir	shire	sych	dry
tal	end	tarren	rocky height
tir	land, territory	tomen	mound
traeth	strand, shore	traws	cross, district
tri	three	troed	foot
trum	ridge	trwyn	point, cape
ty (tai)	house (houses)	tyddyn	small farm
ty'n llan	vicarage, rectory	uchaf	upper
uwch	above, over	verch	daughter of
y, yr, r	the	hen	old
ynys	island	hir	long
ystum	river bend	isal	low
afon	river	ych	ox
ardel	district	ystad	estate
banc	bank	llanerch	glade
bedwen	birch	llechwedd	hillside (rocky)
bod	abode, dwelling	lludd	a Welsh god
bron	slope, hillbreast	llwyn	grove
bychan	small	maen	stone
cae	field, enclosure	mam	mother
capel	chapel	melyn	yellow
castell	castle	mign	bog
cemais	river bend	mur	wall
cilfach	cove, creek	mynydd	mountain
clas	mother church	nos	night
clogwyn	cliff, sheer	pandai	fulling mill
coed	trees, wood	pen	head, end
crwth	Welsh violin	plas	hall, mansion
cymer	confluence (river)	pwll	pool, pit
dau	two	rhos	moorland
diffwys	precipice	sarn	causeway
dol	meadow	tafarn	tavern
drw	water	teg	fair
eglwys	church	ton	grassland
esgair	long ridge	tre (tref)	hamlet, township
ffordd	road	tros	ever
ffrwd	stream, torrent	twyn	hillock
garth	hill, enclosure	tyn	small
glas	blue to green	uchel	high
gwaun	mountain moor	Wallici	Welshman
gwlad	region (county)	yn	in
hafod	summer dwelling	ystrad	valley floor

Many Welsh names and their English pronunciations are similar and can be easily identified, eg Huw and Hugh. However many are different and some are listed below. The name Ial meaning Yale was a Lordship in N.E. Wales and a University Founder.

Welsh	English	Welsh	English
Adda	Adam	Andreas	Andrew
Arnallt	Arnold	Bened	Bennet
Beti	Betty	Blaenau	Blayney
Cai	Kay	Coch	Gough, Gooch
Dafydd, Dewi, Dai	David	Davies	son of David
Edwart	Edward	Efa	Eve
Elen	Helen	Fychan	Vaughan
Gerallt	Gerald	Gruffydd	Griffiths
Gutyn	Gittins	Gwilym	William
Harri	Henry, Harris	Hopcyn	Hopkins
Hywel	Howell, Powell	Iago	James
Ieuan, Ifan, Iwan	Evan	Ioan, Sion	John, Jones
Lowri	Laura	Lisbeth, Leisa	Elizabeth
Llwyd	Lloyd	Luc, Lug	Luke
Madog	Maddox	Mair, Mari	Mary
Maredudd	Meredith	Marged, Mererid	Margaret
Mihangel	Michael	Owain	Owen, Bowen
Pawl	Paul	Philio	Philip
Prys	Price	Pyrs	Pierce
Rhisiart	Richard	Rhosier	Roger
Seincyn	Jenkin	Siarl	Charles
Steffan	Stephen	Watcyn	Watkins
Williams	son of Willi	Winffre	Humphrey
Wynne (from Gwyn)	White

Many place names in Welsh can be accurately guessed because of their similarity to English when said with an English pronunciation, but for Genealogists and interested readers some of the more unusual ones follow.

Welsh	English	Welsh	English
Aberdaugleddau,-yf	Milford Haven	Abergwaun	Fishguard
Aberhonddu	Brecon	Abertawe	Swansea
Aberteifi	Cardigan(shire)	Afon Menai	Menai Straits
Afrig	Africa	Amerig	America
Amwythig	Shrewsbury	Awstralia	Australia
Caerfaddon	Bath	Caerfyrddin	Carmarthen(shire)
Caer-wynt	Winchester	Cas-gwent	Chepstow
Croesoswallt	Oswestry	Cymru	Wales
Dindyrn	Tintern	Dyfnaint	Devon
Eryri	Snowdonia	Gwlad-yr-haf	Somerset
Hafren	Severn	Iwerddon	Ireland
Llanelwy	St Asaph	Llanllieni	Leominster
Lloegr	England	Manaw	Isle of Man
Manceinion	Manchester	Mon	Anglesey
Penbedw	Birkenhead	Tafwys	Thames
Y Mor Canolder	Mediterranian	Ynys Gybi	Holy Isle
Yr Alban, Sgotland	Scotland	Yr Wyddfa	Snowden
Ystrad-fflur	Strata Florida	Y Trallwng	Welshpool

Then we come to days and dates. In Welsh a written number is the same as for the majority of countries in the Western Block, but as with these countries the pronunciation is different. Months have abbreviations as do the English but there is quite a difference when it comes to weekdays, as in Welsh the lower case word for day (dydd) is followed by the day's name. In Welsh a word can often change when it is preceded or followed by a vowel or female meaning, so bear with me on the following :-

Welsh Months	(Mis)	.	.
Ionawr	(Ion)	January	(Jan)
Chwefror	(Chwe)	February	(Feb)
Mawrth	(Maw)	March	(Mar)
Ebrill	(Ebr)	April
Mai	.	May
Mehefin	(Meh)	June
Gorffenaf	(Gor)	July
Awst	.	August	(Aug)
Medi	.	September	(Sept)
Hydref	(Hyd)	October	(Oct)
Tachwedd	(Tach)	November	(Nov)
Rhagfyr	(Rhag)	December	(Dec)

Numbers	Nifers	Welsh Days	(dydd)
one	un	dydd Llun	Monday
two	dau, dwy	dydd Mawrth	Tuesday
three	tri	dydd Mercher	Wednesday
four	pedwar	dydd Iau	Thursday
five	pump, pum	dydd Gwener	Friday
six	chwech, chwe	dydd Sadwrn	Saturday
seven	saith	dydd Sul	Sunday
eight	wyth
nine	naw
ten	deg, deng
eleven	un ar ddeg
twelve	deuddeg
thirteen	tri ar ddeg, tair ar ddeg
fourteen	pedwar ar ddeg
Fifteen	pymtheg, un deg pump
sixteen	un deg chwech
seventeen	un deg saith
eighteen	deunaw, un deg wyth
nineteen	un deg naw
twenty	ugain, dua ddeg