Geographical etymology: a dictionary of place-names giving their derivationsBlackie, Christina
History
Geographical etymology: a dictionary of place-names giving their derivations
Blackie, Christina
Names, Geographical
Llan-Badarn-Odyn; Llandelo-vawr (of Feilo the Great); Llandewi-Brefi
(St. David’s church). Brevi here means the bellowing, from the dismal
moans of a sacred animal killed here; Llandovery, corrupt. from
_Llan-ym-dyffrwd_ (the church among the rivers, at the confluence of
three streams); Llanudno (of St. Tudno); Llanelly (of St. Elian);
Llanfair (of St. Mary); Llanover (the church of the Gover wells);
Llanon (the church dedicated to Nonn, the mother of St. David);
Llanfair-yn-nghornwy (on the horn or headland of the water). There
are several of this name,--as Llan-fair-ar-y-bryn (St. Mary’s church
on the hill); Llanfair-helygen (St. Mary’s church among willows);
Llanfair-o’r-llwyn (on the lake); Llanfihangel (of the angel);
Llanfihangel-genau’r-glyn (the church of the angels at the opening of
the valley); Llanfihangel-y-creuddin, a church erected probably on the
site of a bloody battle; Llanfihangel-lledrod (the church at the foot
of a declivity); Llangadogvawr (of St. Cadoc the Great); Llangeler (of
St. Celert); Llangollen (of St. Collen); Llanidloes (of St. Idloes);
Llaniestyn (of St. Constantine); Llannethlin, anc. _Mediolanum_ (the
church among the pools or marshes); Llantrissant (of three saints);
Llanddeusaint (of two saints); Llanberis (of St. Peres); Llandegla (of
St. Theckla); Llanrhaiadr (the church of the cataract); Llanfaes (the
church of the battle-field); Landaff, on the R. Taff; Llangoedmore
(the church of the great wood); Llanaml-lech (the church on the stony
ground, etc.); Llangwyllog (the gloomy church, perhaps in the shade
of the Druidic grove); Llanfleiddian (dedicated to a bishop named
Flaidd); Llanllawer (the church of the multitude, _llawer_, close to
which was a sainted well famous for its medicinal properties, and which
was resorted to by crowds of impotent folk); Llancilcen (the church
in the nook, _cil_, at the top, _cen_, of a hill), a parish in Flint;
Llan-mabon (of St. Mabon); Llan-Beblig, corrupt. from _Bublicius_,
named for the son of Helen, a Welsh princess; Llan-sant-Fagan, named
in honour of St. Faganus, a missionary from Rome. _Llan_ is sometimes
corrupted to _long_ in Scotland, as in Longniddrie; Lagny, a town
in France, anc. _Laniacum_ (the church or enclosure on the stream).
From the Teut. _land_, _i.e._ a country or district, some names may
come in appropriately under this head--thus Scotland (the land of
the Scots), from Ireland; Monkland, in Lanarkshire (belonging to the
monks); Natland, in Norway (the land of horned cattle); Sutherland
(the southern land, as compared with Caithness), both Sutherland and
Caithness having formed part of the Orkney Jarldom; Cumberland (the
land of the Cymbri), being part of the British kingdom of Cumbria;
Holland (the marshy land, _ollant_); Gippsland, named in honour of Sir
George Gipps, a governor of Port Philip; Friesland (the land of the
Frisii); Beveland (of oxen or beeves); Baardland (of the Lombards);
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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