ELEMENTS 'M'

 

ma, fa              W. masc. and fem. n. ‘a plain, field; place, spot.'  e.g. Y Werfa, Aberdare. Machen, Gwent. Machynys, Llanelli.

 

maden             Welsh, 'fox', from pers. name 'Madog'. (cf. 'Reynard' in English). e.g. Nant Maden, Penderyn.

 

maen               W, masc. sing. n.' pl. meini, ‘stone'. e.g. Gwynfaen, Gwenfaen. Lltbnt. Maendy (maen & ty) numerous in Glam.

 

maenor            W, fem. sing. n., (dim. maenoryn) pl. maenorau, maenorydd, ‘former Welsh territorial and administrative unit comprising a varying number of townships (trefi), also transf. (productive) district, region, country; vale, dale; manor, lordship, landed estate, demesne, inheritance, patrimony, farm, parcel of land; manor-house, mansion, country residence, villa, farmhouse'. GPC. e.g. Maenor-deilo. Lltbnt. Y Faenor/Vaynor, Merthyr Tydfil. Maenorbŷr/Manorbier, Pembs.

 

maerdy            W, masc. sing. n., pl. maerdyau, maerdai, ‘summer dwelling for the tending of cattle, dairy, dairy farm; farm-house; demesne home farm; land supervised by a reeve or steward.' GPC. e.g. Rhyd y maerdy. Gorseinon. Maerdy, Rhondda., Merthyr Tydfil and Gwent.

 

maes               W, masc. sing. n., (dim. maesan) pl. meysydd, meys, ‘open country as opposed to woodland, expanse of open land, level land, plain; field, piece of land set aside for a particular purpose, usually enclosed by fences, hedges &c;' CPC. e.g. Maes teg, Heol y maes, Maes yr ellyn, Maes-y-felin, Maes deunant, Maes y brawd fields, Maes y gelli. Lltbnt. Maesteg, Llynfi Valley. Maesycwmer, Gwent. Gwaelod-y-maes, Llangennech. Maesyderi, numerous.

 

magwyr           Welsh, 'walls'. e.g. Kaya Ffagwr, (Plwyf Aberdar),1766. Clwyd Fagwr, Merthyr Tydfil. Magwyr, Magor, Monm.

 

mailard            prob. corruption of 'moel allt' or ‘moel ardd'  e.g. Pen Mailard,OSM.1905.Penmoelallt,1851-71. Penderyn.

main                W, adj., pl. mein(i)on ‘narrow, thin, slender, slim;' GPC. e.g. Cae main, Erw benfain, Croft fain, Ardd fain, Wain fain (several), Bryn cethin main. Gwainydd meinon uchaf/issaf  TS 301,302 (narrow strips of land),305, Box Farm. Lltbnt.

 

mal                  Old French, adj. ‘bad'. e.g. Malpas, Newport, Gwent.

 

malthouse       ‘a house in which malt was prepared or dried'. e.g.Malt House, Malt house cottage. Lltbnt.

 

mantach          Welsh, 'toothless'. poss. field unable to digest its manure, or prob. a  breached field with many gaps in its surrounding hedge. e.g. Cae Mantach, Aberamman Ychaf. TS1844. Aberdare.

 

march              Welsh, masc. sing. n. 'horse, stallion', pl, meirch.  e.g. Panwan Bryn y March. Aberdare. Marros, (march, rhos) Carms.

 

march             Welsh, adj. ‘great, large'. e.g. Y Farteg, Varteg, Glam. & Gwent.

 

market            Eng. ‘place for buying and selling'. Market way. Lltbnt.

 

match              Eng. ‘person or thing exactly like or corresponding to another'. e.g. Cae Shon Match. Lltbnt.

 

mawn               Welsh, masc. n.  'peat'. e.g. Castell y Mawn. Aberdare.

 

mawr               W, adj. pl. mawr(i)on, morion,  ‘big, large, great; greater; major', usually in place-names as a distinguishing element and to signify the greater or larger rather than the smaller bach, fach. Mutates to fawr following a fem. n.;  e.g. Cwrt mawr, Gors fawr, Graig fawr, Morfa mawr, Ty mawr (several), Llanan fawr, Cae mawr (several), Wain clyn mawr, Cae brin mawr, Erw fawr (several), Ynis fawr, Cae llwyd mawr, Cae gwyn mawr, Croft wain fawr, Ynis lan fawr, Dol fawr, Cae du mawr, Coed mawr, Cae Bryn Telych fawr, Wain dyffryn fawr. Lltbnt. Llandeilo Fawr, Carms. Llanilltud Fawr, Glam.

 

meadow           Eng. 'rich pasture ground'.  e.g. Canal Lower Meadow, Tir Draw. Aberdare.

 

meadow-sweet               Eng. ‘the rosaceous plant queen-of-the-meadows Spiraea ulmaria, a tall fragrant plant of watery meadows'. [earlier mede-sweete as the plant was used to flavour mead].  In Elizabethan times, it was used as a floor covering, as well as for easing pain, to calm fevers and to induce sweating. See WFB p133. [suggested by Ann Daniel as a poss. derivation of the following]. ?Cae sweetach, ? Gwern Sweedach. Lltbnt.

 

mei                  Welsh, ‘middle'. e.g. Meidrum, (mei, trum) Carms. Meifod, Mont.

 

meibion           Welsh, pl. n. 'sons,youths'. e.g. Carn Castell y Meibion. Aberdare.

 

meinciau         Welsh, pl. n. ‘benches', sing. mainc. e.g. Meinciau, (fig.) Carms.

 

meisgyn          Welsh, 'open field of Cyn(n)'.'maes + pers. name Cyn(n)'. Formerly a commote name, now survives in Meisgyn (Miskin), Llantrisant and Llanwynno'. e.g. Miskin. Glam. (2)

 

melarian          from Eng. 'valarian' (RJT) the plant 'all heal'.(Valeriana Officinalis) its rhizone & roots have medicinal powers. e.g. Coedcae Melarian, Aberaman Ychaf.TS1844. Aberdare.

 

melin               W, fem. sing. n., pl. melin(i)au, melinoedd, ‘(corn)-mill, manufacturing mill, rolling mill, factory;'  e.g. Maes-y-felin, Melin isaf, Y felin isaf, Melin Uchaf, Y felin uchaf, Crosse y velin, Gwain y vellin, Melin Lliw, Ty'r velin, Cae bach y felin, Shingrig y felyn, Wain y felin, Cae y felin. Lltbnt.

 

Mellte             Welsh, river-name, poss. linked to W, mellt ‘lightning'. e.g. Ystradfellte, Brecs.

 

melyn/melen   W, adj, fem. melen, pl. melynion, ‘yellow, golden'; e.g. Cae erw felen. Lltbnt. Rhydfelen, Pontypridd.

 

melys              Welsh, adj. 'sweet'. e.g. Lluest Felys.1777. Aberdare..

 

menyn             Welsh, masc. sing. n. 'butter'. e.g. Rhiw y menyn, Meisgyn . Brynmenyn, Glam.

 

merthyr           Welsh, masc. sing. n. 1a. 'martyr' (< Lat. martyr). 1b. 'martyrdom, death,suffering'. 2. sanctified cemetery; church. < Lat.martyrium. used in place-names. GPC. e.g. Cefn Merthyr.1666.1780. Aberdare.  Merthyr Tydfil. [meaning 2]. Martletwy, (merthyr, Tywai) Pembs.

 

meudwy           W, masc. sing. n., ‘hermit'. e.g. Ynysmeudwy, Glam. (hermit's river meadow)

Meurig            Welsh, pers.name. < Lat.Mauricius. see Morris. e.g. Tir Meyrick, 1666. Aberdare.  

                       see Merrixton Farm, Pembs.

 

Meyrick          see Meurig.

 

middle             Eng. 'intermediate' .e.g. Canal Middle field, Tir Draw. Aberdare. Middleton Hall, Lltbnt.

 

mieri/meri       W, pl. n., (fem. sing. miaren, mieren, mierien, ‘blackberry bushes, brambles; briers; thorn bushes'. ?Cae mary bach. Lltbnt.

 

mill                  Eng. ‘a mill'. e.g. Lliw Mill, Upper-mill Road, Lower mill, Upper mill, Church mill, Monck mill. Lltbnt. Blackmill, Glam. Park Mill, Gower.

 

minchei         etymology obscure e.g. Alt Minchei

moch               W, pl. n., (sing. masc. mochyn) ‘swine, pigs'. e.g. Croft mochyn, ?Wain much. Lltbnt. Llwyn y Moch. Aberdare. Mochdre, Denb. & Mont.

 

moel               Welsh, adj. 'bald'; and masc. fem. n. ‘bare rounded hill'. e.g. Moel yr Hyddod. Aberdare. Moel Penderyn, Y Foel (the Vole) Penderyn. Twyn y Foel, Penderyn.  Nantymoel, (earlier Nantmoel) Llangeinwyr, Glam. Craig y moel, Pentyrch. Gwern y moel, Llantrisant.        

monk               Eng. ‘member of community of men living apart under religious vows'. e.g. Monck (sic) mill. Lltbnt. Monkstone Point, Pembs.

 

Mor                 W, pers.name. see Llandremor, Llandeilo Tal-y-bont.

morfa              W, masc. sing. n., pl. morfeidd, ‘sea-marsh, fen';  e.g. Morfa Mawr, Morfa coch, Morfa bach, Morfa yr ychen, Cae pen morfa, Y morfa, morfa porri, morfa gwair, Morfa uchaf, Morfa issaf, Morfeidd. Lltbnt. Morfa, Llestan Llwydon, Aberdare.

 

Morgan           pers.name.< 'mor cant'.(sea side). e.g. Tir Morgan Watkin.1854. Aberdare. Glamorgan, (gwlad, Morgan); Morgannwg (Morgan + -wg). Morganstown, Glam.

 

morgrug          Welsh, pl. n. 'ants'. e.g. Tyle Morgrug, Penderyn.

 

morlan    W, môr ‘sea' & glan ‘edge, bank' referring to wet, boggy land, i.e. lowl-lying open land, inland, which is inclined to be wet and marshy. GOP. e.g. Morlanga, Peterston super Ely. Morlanga Farm, Merthyr Tydfil (morlan & cae). Morlonga now Ffald Farm, Ystrad Owen. Y Vorlan fach, Gwent.  

Morris            pers. name.< Lat. Mauricius. see Meurig. e.g. Tir Morris.1844. Aberdare. Morriston/Treforus, Swansea.

 

Moss               pers.name. e.g. Moss row field, Blaenant.TS1844. Aberdare. (occupier, Edward Moss).

 

mount              Eng. ‘mountain, hill'. Mount pleasant. Lltbnt. & Swansea.

 

mountain         Eng. 'high hill'. e.g. Mountain, Gwryd Aberdare. & general.

 

Mountain Ash     English. 'the Rowan-tree'. e.g. Mountain Ash, Public House, Abercwmboi Isaf.TS1844. Aberdare Parish.Field number 550. Landowner, John Bruce Pryce. Occupier, Mary Kingsbury & others. (later adopted as name of town). Known earlier as Pont Gerddinen

 

mwnci              W, masc. sing. n., (dim. mwncyn, myncyn) pl. mynciau, mynciod, ‘hames, collar (of horse or other draught animal)'; ‘1753, TR mwngci',  GPC. Ynis y mwngi.  Field no. 1904. Lltbnt.

 

Mwmbwls       pers.name from place-name, Eng. Mumbles, Welsh, Mwmbwls. e.g. Tai Arthur Mwmbwls, Arthur Mumbles houses. Lltbnt.

 

mwyn               W, adj. ‘kind, gentle, mild'. e.g. Cae fwindu, Alltiago. Lltbnt.

 

mwyn               Welsh, masc. sing. n. 'mineral'. e.g. Glyn y Mwyn,1777.1791. Aberdare.

 

mynach           W, masc. sing. n., pl. mynachod, myneich, ‘a monk'. e.g. Gweinydd mynach, Mellin Manach, Melin-monach. Lltbnt. Penrhiw'r Mynach. Aberdare.

 

mynaches        Welsh, fem. sing. n. 'nun'. e.g. Gelli Fonaches, (sic) Llanwynno.

 

mynachdy       Welsh, 'monestary'. e.g, Mynachdy, Llanwynno.RB.1842-50.HMH.

 

mynydd           W, masc. sing. n., pl. mynyddoedd, mynyddau, mynydde (loc. dial.), ‘mountain, (large) hill; common, unenclosed land, mountain land, moorland; agricultural land; plain;'. GPC. R.J. Thomas states in Meisg. 40, that mynydd can also be used for wild, uncultivated land that need not necessarily be on high ground. e.g. Mynydd Lliw, Caer mynydd (several), Llwyn minith, Pant y mynydd, Ty y menydd, Bank y mynydd, Croft gate y mynydd, Croft y mynydd (several), Heol y mynydd, Piece y mynydd, Cae mynydd pellaf, Cwm cae mynydd, Mynydd Coal brook, Gardd y mynydd, Ardd y mynydd. Lltbnt. Mynydd Aberdar, Mynydd Du, Mynydd Cynffig & general.

 

myrion             Welsh, pl. n. 'ants'. e.g. Gwain y Myrion, Gelli Ddu Fawr, TS1844. Aberdare.