LLYNFI VALLEY

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1793

LLYNFI  VALLEY

LLYNFI

Leveni 1153-83
Lleueny 1536-9
Llyffny Vechan 1570
Llynfi Fawr, Llynfi Fach c1700
Llyfny, Aberlyfny c.1700
Aber Llunfy c.1830

Llynfi is the name of a river that rises in Blaen Llynfi on Caerau Mountain, flowing through the Llynfi Valley through Maesteg and Garth, along the foothills of Llangynnwyd (where the Llynfi Fach enters from Cwmdu), and onwards to the Ogmore river at Aberllynfi, to the south west of Brynmenyn.
[trans. from EANC p161.] The name Llynfi was formed through a process of metathesis from an earlier ‘llyfni’. Llyfni contains the stem ‘llyfn’ and refers to a smooth flowing river or a river that smoothes or harrows.
The opposite of ‘llyfn’ is ‘garw’. C.f. the neighbouring Garw Valley.

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CEFNYDFA

This place-name has been given immortal fame through the tragic tale of Wil Hopkyn and Ann Thomas, the Maid of Cefnydfa.
Here are the early forms of the place-name: Keven y guydva (scribal error for gnydva) 1578
Keven y Knydva 17th and early 18th century
Keven y gnydva
Keven y Knidva
Kevenydva 1730 I am grateful to Prof. Emeritus G. O. Pierce for listing the above forms in his ‘Place-Names in Glamorgan’, p. 39. The first element is ‘cefen, cefn’ (mountain ridge). The above forms show that the second element has changed from an earlier ‘cnydfa’ to the present day ‘ydfa’.
Ydfa is based on Welsh ŷd (corn), while ‘cnydfa’ is linked to Welsh ‘cnwd’ (crop, produce). Ydfa would be a ‘place of corn’ while ‘cnydfa’ suggests a ‘fruitful, productive location’. Present day Cefnydfa (mountain ridge of the place of corn) was earlier Cefncnydfa,
(mountain ridge of the fruitful, fertile place). DMJ. 18.7.07
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NANTYFFYLLON

1570 NANT FIRLLING
1588 FFOREST NANT FFIRLLOIGE
1630 NANT FFYRLLINGE
1787 TIR NANT FFIRLLING
1846 NANT Y FFYRLLING FARM
1870 NANT Y FFYLLONG
1875 NANTYFFYRLLIN ESTATE
1875-6 NANT-Y-FFYLLON

Nantyffyllon was earlier Nantffyrling ‘the farthing stream’ so named due to its small size.
FFYRLLING is etymologically linked to M.E. FERLING, ' a FARTHING' the lowest in value and smallest of all the coins of the realm. Here, used FIGURATIVELEY for a small and insignificant brook
NANTYFFYRLLING was changed to NANTYFFYLLON
c1870 due to an eisteddfodic 'correction'. Deric John 17.7.07
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SHWT

Shwt 1884 OS 1:10,560 Shwt is the name of a small village in the Llynfi Valley. The name is a Cymricised form of the Eng. ‘chute’ and refers to a water chute, used for scouring and washing coal. 17.7.07
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