Page:EB1911 - Volume 28.djvu/276

Rh but these Biblical terms have likewise been applied to their surrounding houses, and in not a few instances to growing towns and villages. A notable example of this curious nomenclature occurs in Bethesda, Carnarvonshire, where the name of the Congregational chapel erected early in the 19th century has altogether supplanted the original Celtic place-name of Cilfoden. But although English and foreign place-names are fairly numerous throughout Wales, yet the vast majority remain Celtic either in a pure or in a corrupted form, so that some knowledge of the Celtic language is essential to interpret their meaning.

A small glossary of some of the more common component words is appended below.

Aber, the mouth or estuary of a river—Aberystwyth, Abergwili.

Ach, water—Clydach, Clarach.

Afon, a river—a word which retains its primitive meaning in Wales, whilst it has become a proper name in England—Glanafon, Manorafon.

Bettws, a corrupt form of the English “bead-house,” or possibly of the Latin “beatus”—Bettws-y-coed, Bettws Ifan.

Blaen, the top—Blaendyffryn, Blaencwm.

Bod, house or abode—Bodfuan, Hafod.

Bron, the human breast, hence breast of hill—Brongest, Cilbronnau.

Bryn, a hill—Brynmawr, Penbryn.

Bwlch, a gap—Bwlchbychan, Tanybwlch.

Cae, a field—Caeglas, Tynycae.

Caer, a fortress or fortified camp—Caerlleon, Caersws.

Capel, a corrupt form of the Latin “capella” applied to chapels, ancient and recent—Capel Dewi, Capel-issaf, Parc-y-capel.

Carn, a cairn or heap of stones—Moel-trigarn.

Carnedd, a tumulus—Carnedd Llywelyn.

Cefn, a ridge—Cefn-Mably, Cefn-y-bedd.

Cil, a retreat, said to be akin to the Goidelic kil—Ciliau-Aeron, Cilcennin.

Cnwc, a knoll or mound — Cnwcglas (Anglicized into Knucklas, in Radnorshire).

Coed, a wood—Coedmawr, Penycoed.

Craig, a rock or crag—Pen-y-graig.

Crûg, a heap or barrow—Crûg Mawr, Trichrûg.

Cwm, a low valley, Anglicized into “coomb”— Cwm Gwendraeth, Blaencwm.

Din, a fortified hill, hence Dinas, a fortified town—Dinefawr, Pen Dinas.

Dol, a meadow—Dolwilym, Dolau.

Dwr, Dwfr, water—Glyndwrdu, the patrimony of the celebrated Owen Glendower, of which his Anglicized name is a corruption.

Eglwys, a corruption of the Latin “ecclesia,” a church—Eglwyswrw, Tanyreglwys.

Gallt, in North Wales a steep slope; in South Wales a hanging wood—Galltyfyrddin, Penyrallt.

Gelli, a grove—Gellideg, Pengelly Forest.

Glan, a bank—Glanymôr, Glandofan.

Glyn, a glen or narrow valley—Glyncothi, Tyglyn.

Llan, a sacred enclosure, hence a church—a most interesting and important Celtic prefix—Llandeilo, Llansaint.

Llech, a stone—Llechryd, Trellech.

Llwyn, a grove—Penllwyn, Llwynybrân.

Llys, a court or palace—Henllys, Llysowen.

Maes, open land, or battlefield—Maesyfed (the Welsh name for Radnorshire), Maesllwch.

Moel, bald, hence a bare hill-top—Moelfre.

Môr, the sea—Brynmôr, Glanymôr.

Mynydd, mountain—Llanfynydd, Mynydd Dû.

Nant, a ravine, hence also a brook— Nantgwyllt, Nannau, Nantgaredig.

Pant, a glen or hollow—Pantycelyn, Blaenpant.

Parc, an enclosed field—Parc-y-Marw, Penparc.

Pen, a summit—Penmaenmawr, Penmark.

Pont, a bridge, a corruption of the Latin “pons”—Ponthirwen, Talybont.

Porth, a gate or harbour—perhaps a corrupt form of the Latin “porta”—Aberporth, Pump Porth (“the Five Gates”).

Rhiw, ascent or slope—Troedyrhiw, Rhiwlas.

Rhos, a moor—Rhosllyn, Tyr'hos.

Rhyd, a ford—Rhydyfuwch, Glanrhyd.

Sarn, a causeway, generally descriptive of the old Roman paved roads—Talsarn, Sarnau, Sarn Badrig.

Tal, an end, also head—Taliaris, Talyllyn.

Tref, a homestead, hence cantref, a hundred—Hendref, Cantref-y-gwaelod.

Troed, a base—Troed-y-bryn.

Ty, a house, a cottage—Tynewydd, Mynachty.

Wy, or gwy, an obsolete Celtic word for water, preserved in the names of many Welsh rivers—Elwy, Gwili, Wye or Gwy.

Ynys, an island, or hill in the midst of a bog—Ynys Enlli (the Welsh name for Bardsey Islands), Ynyshir, Clynrynys.

Yspytty, spite, a corrupt form of the Latin “hospitium,” often

used of the guest-house of an abbey—Yspytty Ystwyth, Tafarn Spite.

Ystrad, a meadow or rich lowland—Ystrad Mynach, Llanfihangel Ystrad.

Population.—The total population of the twelve counties of the Principality was: 1,360,513 (1881), 1,519,035 (1891), 1,720,600 (1901). These figures prove a steady upward tendency, but the increase itself is confined entirely to the industrial districts of the Principality, and in a special degree to Glamorganshire; while the agricultural counties, such as Pembroke, Merioneth, Cardigan or Montgomery, present a continuous though slight decrease owing to local emigration to the centres of industry. The whole population of Wales in Tudor, Stuart and early Georgian times can scarcely have exceeded 500,000 souls, and was probably less. But with the systematic development of the vast mineral resources of the South Wales coalfield, the population of Glamorganshire has increased at a more rapid rate than that of any other county of the United Kingdom, so that at present this county contains about half the population of all Wales. It will be noted, therefore, that the vast mass of the inhabitants of Wales are settled in the industrial area which covers the northern districts of Glamorganshire and the south-eastern corner of Carmarthenshire; whilst central Wales, comprising the four counties of Cardigan, Radnor, Merioneth and Montgomery, forms the least populous portion of the Principality. The following towns had each in 1901 a population exceeding 10,000: Cardiff, Ystradyfodwg, Swansea, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare, Pontypridd, Llanelly, Ogmore and Garw, Pembroke, Caerphilly, Maesteg, Wrexham, Penarth, Neath, Festiniog, Bangor, Holyhead, Carmarthen. Only four towns in North Wales are included in these eighteen, and the combined populations of these four—Wrexham (14,966), Festiniog (11,435), Bangor (11,269) and Holyhead (10,079)—fall far below that of Merthyr Tydfil (69,228), the fourth largest town in Glamorganshire.

Industries.—The chief mineral product of the Principality is coal, of which the output amounts to over 23,000,000 tons annually. The great South Wales coalfield, one of the largest in the kingdom, covers the greater part of Monmouthshire and Glamorganshire, the south-eastern corner of Carmarthenshire, and a small portion of south Pembrokeshire, and the quality of its coal is especially suitable for smelting purposes and for use in steamships. The supply of limestone and ironstone in Glamorganshire is said to be practically unlimited. About 400,000 tons of pig iron are produced yearly, and some of the largest iron-works in the world are situated at Merthyr Tydfil and Dowlais. Copper, tin and lead works are everywhere numerous in the busy valleys of north Glamorgan and in the neighbourhoods of Swansea, Neath, Cardiff and Llanelly. In North Wales, Wrexham, Ruabon and Chirk are centres of coal-mining industry. There are valuable copper mines in Anglesea, and lead mines in Flint and in north Cardiganshire, which also yield a certain deposit of silver ore. Gold has been discovered and worked, though only to a small extent, in Merionethshire and Carmarthenshire. Slate quarries are very numerous throughout the Principality, the finest quality of slate being obtained in the neighbourhood of Bangor and Carnarvon, where the Penrhyn and Bethesda quarries give employment to many thousands of workmen.

By far the larger portion of Wales is purely agricultural in character, and much of the valley land is particularly fertile, notably the Vale of Glamorgan, the Vale of Clwyd and the valleys of the Towy, the Teifi, the Usk and the Wye, which have long been celebrated for their rich pastures. The holdings throughout Wales are for the most part smaller in extent than the average farms of England. Stock-raising is generally preferred to the growing of cereals, and in western Wales the oat crops exceed in size those of wheat and barley. The extensive tracts of unenclosed and often improvable land, which still cover a large area in the Principality, especially in the five counties of Cardigan, Radnor, Brecon, Montgomery and Merioneth, support numerous flocks of the small mountain sheep, the flesh of which supplies the highly prized Welsh mutton. The wool of the sheep is manufactured into flannel at numberless factories in the various country towns, and the supply meets an important local demand. The upland tracts also afford good pasturage for a number of cobs and ponies, which obtain high prices at the local fairs, and Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire have long been famous for their breed of horses and ponies. The cattle of Wales present all varieties of race, the Hereford breed prevailing in the eastern counties, and Shorthorns and the black Castlemartins in the south-western parts. The great herds of goats, which in medieval times subsisted on the Welsh hills, have entirely disappeared since the general adoption of the sheep-farming industry.