ELEMENTS 'B'

babell  v.  pabell

bach, fach   Welsh, adj., ‘small, little'. e.g. Cwmbach, Pentrebach, Taibach, Ffairfach,Drefach & others.

bach     Welsh, fem. sing. n. pl. bachau, ‘hook, nook, angle, corner, bend'. e.g. Bachygwreiddin, Pontlliw, Swansea. Bachygwreiddyn, Ystradgynlais Uchaf. Bachau, Fach-Hendre, Fachongle, Vachelich, Pembs.

bad      Welsh, masc. sing. n. ‘boat', pl. badau. See Glan-bad/Upper Boat,Pontypridd.

badell v.  padell. e.g. Bryn y badell, Cynon Valley.

badda   uncertain. poss. ‘baddag' < ‘byddag' meaning ‘knot, snare, trap'? [suggested by Rev. Huw Jones]; poss. pers. name ‘ab Adda', written as ‘Badda'.  Cae badda Pen-y-bont newydd (field no. 2144 TS 1844), Llandeilo Tal-y-bont.

baedd              Welsh, 'boar'. eg. Cae'r baedd; Caer Baidd, Kilhepste Fawr/Bach, Penderyn.TS1841.

balc, balca  W, from Eng. balk, ‘unploughed ridge,' pl. balciau, Gwentian dial. balca. e.g. Tir y balc,Y  Balca,Balca Uchaf, Cae'r Balca, Merthyr Tydfil. (Griffiths)

ban, bannau, Welsh, ‘top, peak, summit.' Plural ‘bannau'. e.g. Tal-y-fan, Aber-fan, Glam. Bannau Brycheiniog, Brecs.

banadl  Welsh, 'broom' (Cytisus Scoparius). Regularly seen as place-name element, see banal, banadlog.

banal    dial.pron. of banadl, ‘broom'. e.g. Bryn Banal, Penderyn.TS1841.& others.

banadlog    Welsh, 'a place where broom (Cytisus Scoparius) grows'. e.g.Y Fanhalog  (Llanwynno). Fanhalog. HMH. p106.mis-interpreted as 'sunny spot'. Fanhaulog.(erroneosly 'corrected') HMH.p114. from PRB.1842-50.

banc   from Mid.English 'banke' (RJT) 'a ridge, shelf of land, slope of a hill'. e.g. Pen y Banc (Llanwynno).1842-50.HMH. Bancybo, Pontardulais. Bancyfelin, Bancffosfelin, Penybanc, Carms. etc.

bank    Eng., ‘bank, slope of a hill'. e.g. Gopa bank, Llandeilo Tal-y-bont.

bannog   Welsh, 1. mutated form of  'pannog' [(place) of bog-cotton].  e.g. Trebannog Ucha (Penderyn).TS1841; Trebannog, Rhondda; cf. Trebanos, Cwm Tawe.  2. ? 'of (mountain) peaks'.

bant   v.  pant 

bant    Welsh.  ‘away, yonder'. E.g. Cae'r bannt, Penrhiw Angen (TS1844). Cae yr erw bant, Cae erw bant. Cynon Valley.

banwain, banwaun  v.  panwaun.

banwen  see 'panwaun' ('pan' = cotton-grass) + 'gwaun' (moorland,bog). (BLJ). e.g. Banwen, Bedwlwyn; Banwen,Tir Bach, etc.(TS1844) Cynon Valley. See Banwen, SevenSisters;

banweinydd,    plural of  'banwain' (see above). e.g. Banweinidd Bach, Gelli Ddu Fach, (TS1844), Aberdare.

bar    from English 'bar' (a barrier, part of a gate, a rod of iron or wood fixed across an entrance or exit, or forming part of a fence, gate etc).e.g. Cae Barra, Llety Shencyn (TS1844).. Cae'r Barr, Cae'r Barra, Aberdare.TS1844. Cynon Valley.

barent   poss. Welsh barant, ‘riches' (mockingly).e.g. Cae'r barrant, Ffynnon y Gog.TS1844. (only example in Cynon Valley.)

bargod    W, masc. fem. sing. n. ‘edge, border, boundary; marches.' e.g. Bargod, Glam. Bargod Taf, Cwm Bargod, Merthyr Tydfil.

bargoed  v. bargod

Barna      Welsh, hypocoristic or pet form of Barnabas. C.f. ‘Ffair Gwyl Barna' for ‘ Ffair Gwyl Barnabas' (June 11th) Llandeilo Fawr. ? Hewl y Barna, Llandeilo Tal-y-bont.

baseleg    W, fem. sing. n., borr. from Lat. basilica, 'church'. e.g. Basaleg, Newport, Gwent.

basin   from English 'basin', 'a hollow place containing water, as a dock' (CED). e.g. Y Basin, c1850, GPC. Llanwynno.

Batty  prob. surname. e.g. Wern Batty. Cefndon. Penderyn. TS1841. (only example).

bariwns  Welsh, from Eng. barriers ‘movable barrier at opening into a field; stile'. e.g. Cae bariwns, Cae barwns .Cynon Valley.

Bean    one of a number of forms found in N. Brecs., along with ‘Bwan;, Buan' etc., forthe pers. name ‘Bowen' [A.F., GPC]. In the parishes of Llangyfelach and Llandeilo Tal-y-bont however, it represents the pers. name Evan. e.g. Wain bean goch; Tyrbian Goch. Llandeilo Tal-y-bont. C.f. ?Y Binie (Bynea) Llanelli poss. as pl. y Beaniau.         

beacon OE, ‘a sign, signal, a beacon'. Ca yr Becon, Llandeilo Tal-y-bont.

bechan  Welsh, fem.form of' bychan' (small,little,minute,diminutive.) GPC. e.g. Pontneddfechan/Pontneathvaughan, Cwm Nedd; Taf fechan, Trefechan, Merthyr Tydfil.

bedw    Welsh, pl. n., fem. sing. bedwen, ‘birch, birch grove'; sing. ‘birch tree'. e.g. Bank y bedw, Tir y Bedw. Graig y Bedw. Llandeilo Tal-y-bont. Y Fedw Hir, Bedwhir.Bedwlwyn, Llwyn y bedw. Aberdare. Michaelston-y-fedw, Glam. Pantyfedwen, Cards.

bedd    Welsh, masc. n., ‘a grave' pl. beddau. e.g. Ynisybedd fach. Cae yr bedd (sic).Talyfanfach, Llandeilo Tal-y-bont. Bedd y Gwyddel, Aberdare; Y Beddau (Bedda), Llantrisant.

begwn, bigwn  Welsh, from Eng. beacon ‘Peak, ridge or summit, prominent hill, bonfire onhigh ground as a signal'. e.g. Cae bigwr, Cae bigurn, Bigwin issaf, Bigwin uchaf, Bank y bigwin, Big wen. Llandeilo Tal-y-bont.

beili     Welsh, (from Eng. bailey, variant of bail), ‘court,; yard, close of land, hedge'. e.g. Beili glas. Cae baily. Llandeilo Talybont.

bellaf  v.  pellaf

benfain,  v. penfain

benty  v.  pen, ty

beri, bery        W, ‘bird of prey, kite'.  E.g. Llwyn y beri. Llandeilo Tal-y-bont. c.f. Kittle, Gower (< kite hill).

berllan  v.  perllan

berran             Welsh, ‘short (land) share'. See Ystalyfera, Cwm Tawe.

berth  v.  perth

berw    Welsh, masc. sing. n. ‘a boiling, foam'. e.g. Berw Rhondda, Berw Taf, Llanwynno.

betws               Mid. Welsh, from OE bede-hus ‘bead-house', ‘house of Prayer; chapel of ease'. See Betws, Carms.

bid       Welsh, fem. sing. n., pl. bidiau, ‘lopped hedge, quickset hedge, bush'. e.g Glyn-y-fid. Llandeilo Tal-y-bont. Gelli fid, Llandyfodwg. Kae Vid Bedw, Aberdare.

birth    Eng., n., ‘the act of bearing or bringing forth: coming into the world; dignity of family origin'. e.g. Merican new birth.Lltbnt.

bishop   Eng. ‘a clergyman consecrated for the spiritual direction of a diocese'. See Bishopston, Gower.

black cock       Eng. ‘the male black grouse'. e.g. Black Cock, Pryscedwin. Llandeilo Tal-y-bont.                

blaen   Welsh, masc. sing. n., pl. blaenau,Gwentian dial. blaena, ‘end, point; source or upperreaches of a river or stream; extremity, remotest region, uplands'. e.g. Blaen-nant-y-groes,Blaenaman, Blaengwawr, Blaendulais, etc. Blaina, Gwent. Blaenau'r Cymoedd, Glam/Gwent.

blaen   v. o flaen         

blodau   Welsh, masc. pl. n., sing. blodyn ‘flowers'. e.g. Pant-y-blodau, Lltbnt..

blufen  v. pluen

boat     Eng. ‘small, open craft, usually moved by oars'. See Upper Boat, Pontypridd.

boch    Welsh, fem. sing. n. pl. bochau ‘cheek'. See Fochriw, Merthyr Tydfil.

bod    Welsh, 'permanent home, abode, dwelling, residence'. e.g. Bodwigiad, Penderyn.

boeth   v. poeth

bol       Welsh, masc. n., ‘belly, abdomen, paunch; swelling, bulge, convexity, breast'. e.g. Bolgoed, Bolgoed Shop, Bolgoed Uchaf, Bolgoed Isaf, Bolgoed Ganol, Bolgoed Road, Bolgoed House, Bolgoed Stables, Old bolgoed, Bolgoed Forge, Bolgoed Brickworks, Bolgoed Quarries.Llandeilo Tal-y-bont.

bolon v. ebolion 

bon      Welsh, masc. sing. n.  bon, bonyn ‘bottom, base, root, stump, trunk, stock, stem'. e.g. Bonymaen, Swansea. Plural bonau, Loc. dial. ‘bone'. e.g. Ty'n-y-bonau, Waun-y-bonau, Waun-y-bone, Cae bone. Llandeilo Tal-y-bont'

bond    Welsh, sing. n., pl. bondiau from Eng. bond ‘covenant, bond, agreement'.  e.g. ?Tyr Bond Game, Llandeilo Tal-y-bont.

bont  v.  pont

box      Eng., ‘a box tree'. Box Farm, Cae yr box, Cae heol y box. Lltbnt. Box Cemetery,Llanelli.

brach, brack  v.  brake

braenar   Welsh, masc. sing. n. ‘fallow land'. Y Brynar Bach, Llanwynno.

brake   Eng., ‘a brake, brushwood, a thicket; waste land covered with brushwood,' also ‘a strip of uncultivated land'.e.g.  Brach, Brack.Llandeilo Tal-y-bont.

brân     Welsh, fem. sing. n., pl. brain ‘crow, raven, rook'. Foes y frn, Llandeilo Tal-y-bont. Cwmbrân, Gwent. Llysyfrân, Pembs.

brawd  Welsh, masc. sing. n., pl. brodyr. ‘brother, friar'. e.g. Maes y brawd, Llandeilo Tal-y-bont.

bre   W, fem. sing. n. ‘hill, hillside'. e.g. Penbre, Carms.

brenin Welsh, sing. masc. n., pl. brenhinoedd ‘king, sovereign, monarch'. e.g. Tir-y-brenin, Llandeilo Tal-y-bont.

briallu  Welsh, pl. n., ‘primroses', dialect form miarllu, biarllu. e.g. Llwyn Biarlly, Llandeilo Tal-y-bont.

bridge  Eng., ‘a structure spanning a river, road etc'. e.g. Bridge End, Bridgend Row, Bridge St. Llandeilo Tal-y-bont. Bridgend, Britton Ferry, Cowbridge. Glam.

briscoed  v.  prysg, coed

brickyard         Eng., brick, yard ‘ a place where bricks are made'. e.g. House and Brickyard [Gorsgoed], Llandeilo Tal-ybont.

broad   Eng. ‘wide, large; free or open'. See Bracelet Bay, Gower.

bro    Welsh, 'vale, lowland; plain'. e.g. Nant y fro, Llanwynno. Bro Morgannwg/Vale of Glamorgan.

bron     Welsh, fem. sing. n., pl. bronnydd ‘hill-side, slope, breast (of hill)'.  e.g. Corsyfron, Cae fron.Llandeilo Tal-y-bont. Bronallt, Llanedi.

bronwydd   Welsh, 'wooded hillside'. e.g. Clun y Bronwydd, Aberdare.

brown    Welsh, from Eng., colour brown ‘dark, dark-reddish, dusky colour'.  Tyr brown Ychaf, Tyr brown issaf, Llandeilo Tal-y-bont.

brwg   Welsh, 'brake, copse, thicket'. e.g. Brwg, Gamlyn Ychaf (TS1844), Aberdare. .

brwydr,            Welsh, 'battle'. e.g. Carn y frwydr, Aberdare.

brwynog          Welsh, adj. ‘rushy, abounding with rushes, rush-like'. e.g. Coedcae brwynog,Llandeilo Tal-y-bont. Cae Brwynog, Ynys Vrwynog, Aberdare.

bry       Welsh, adj. ‘above, aloft, on high', permanently mutated to ‘fry'. e.g. Ty Fry, Llandeilo Tal-y-bont and elsewhere.

bryn     Welsh, masc. sing. n., pl. bryniau, ‘hill'.  Bryn, Brynawel, Bryn-bach, Bryn du, Bryn efor, Bryn goleu, Bryngwastad, Bryn Hyfryd, Brynllygibon, Bryn Llwyd, Bryn nant, Brynrhewl, Brynteg, Bryntelych, Bryntirion, Bryn-yr-ardd, Bryn yr arel, Cae brynmawr.  Cae bryn corn, Cae bryn haidd, Cae bryn llymrig, Glasfryn, Gwynfryn. Bryn field, Bryn cethin canol, Bryn cethin uchaf, Bryn waun pond, Cae bryn poeth, Waun bryn cethin.Llandeilo Talybont. Brynmawr, Gwent. Brynaman, Carms. Brynna, Glam.

buarth    Welsh, masc. sing. n. pl. buarthau, ‘enclosure to milk cows, sheep-fold, enclosure, court-yard, farm-yard'. Biarth Capal, Llanwynno.  

buck    Eng., ‘the male of the deer, goat, hare and rabbit'. e.g. Buck Inn, Pontlliw. Wain Bucks, Llandeilo Tal-y-bont.

bwch    Welsh, masc. sing. n., pl. bychod, ‘buck, he-goat'. Darren y bwch, Tarren Bwch, Cae bwch.Llandeilo Tal-y-bont and elsewhere.

bwdran  Welsh, masc. sing. noun., 'kind of caudle or thin flummery, washbrew, gruel'. also as bwdram, mwdran, pwdran.  Parkrhosybwdran; Pantybwdran,Crug y Bwdran, Carms. Can signify sludgy, muddy terrain. Nant Bwdran, Brecs. here it reflects the colour and murkiness of the stream.

 bwgan    Welsh, masc. sing. n., pl. bwganod, ‘ghost, hobgoblin, bugbear', also in this place-name possibly ‘scarecrow'.  ? Croft y bwban, Lltbnt.  Also cf. bwbach.

bŵl   Welsh, masc. sing. n. from ME boule ‘bowl, ball'. e.g. Ynysybŵl, Cynon Valley.

bwlch   Welsh, sing. masc. n., pl. bylchau, bylch ‘mountain pass, defile, passage'.  e.g. Bwlch y llaid. Hanereg y bwlch, Bwlch yr heol, Llandeilo Tal-y-bont. Bwlch y Lladron, Graigy bwlch, Aberdare.

bwtsiwr   Welsh, masc. sing. n., pl. bwtsiwyr, borr. from, and an adaptation of Eng. butcher - ‘butcher; slaughterer; murderer'.  Tyr y Bwtchwr 1748 Glynllwchwr, [Badminton 1479] Llandeilo Tal-y-bont.. 

by        ON, ‘farmstead, village'. See Womanby Street, Cardiff.

bych     Old Welsh, ‘little'. e.g.  Dinbych-y-pysgod/Tenby.