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National park authority rejects motion to ditch name of Snowdon for Welsh one

28 Apr 2021 3 minute read
Photo by Nikolay Dimitrov on Unsplash

A national park authority has rejected a motion to ditch the name of Snowdon for the Welsh language one.

Cllr John Pughe Roberts who proposed the motion, has accused the councillors on Snowdonia National Park Authority who opposed it, of not having “any confidence in the Welsh language” and of “kicking the can down the road”.

Roberts, who represents Corris and Mawddwy, said park authorities should only refer to the highest mountain in Wales at 3,560ft, by its Welsh name, Yr Wyddfa.

He also suggests that Snowdonia National Park Authority only refer to itself as Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri.

The authority voted down the motion and put the issue to a committee to look at.

Its Chair, Wyn Ellis Jones said its members had decided there was “no need to consider the motion today” because a Welsh Place Names Task and Finish Group has already been appointed.

The motion said: “That the authority hereafter uses only the authority’s Welsh name for the authority and that this becomes relevant in any language i.e. ‘Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri’ and never uses ‘Snowdonia National Park’ again.

“The same should apply to ‘Yr Wyddfa’ – never to use the name ‘Snowdon’ for it again.”

‘Disappointed’ 

Following the decision to reject the motion, Cllr John Pughe Roberts told Nation.Cymru: “I’m disappointed that they don’t have any confidence in the Welsh language. For me, we need to have confidence in the Welsh language, and there’s no point talking about independence if we haven’t got any confidence in the language.

“It’s gone to another committee – kicking the can down the road. I’m not happy of course. It’s a bureaucratic way of doing it.

“They’ve decided to put it to a committee and see what the committee says. They rejected this motion.

“To tell the truth Cllr Edgar Owen from Waunfawr, he opposed the motion, and he didn’t want to speak about the motion to be honest.

“They didn’t talk about it a lot. I was pretty disappointed that every Plaid Cymru member apart from one voted to oppose the motion.”

SNPA Chair Wyn Ellis Jones said: “Authority members decided that there was no need to consider the motion today as a Welsh Place Names Task and Finish Group has already been appointed.

“This follows previous consideration by the Members in a Working Group which recommended to establish and adopt guidelines to guide the use of place names by the SNPA. Members will consider these issues once the Task and Finish group is able to make recommendations.

“The Authority is committed to protect and promote the use of native place names for everyday use and future generations.”

Cllr Edgar Wyn Owen has been approached for comment.


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Thelma Fox
Thelma Fox
2 years ago

It should be in Welsh, that’s our language you wouldn’t go abroad and have their mountains in English would you..??

Chris
Chris
2 years ago
Reply to  Thelma Fox

You would – Never heard of Everest?

Mr Gwyndaf Hughes
Mr Gwyndaf Hughes
2 years ago
Reply to  Chris

Clever dick.

GARETH WESTACOTT
GARETH WESTACOTT
2 years ago
Reply to  Chris

That’s a bit more complicated because it’s on the border of Nepal and Tibet, and each language has got its own historically valid name for the mountain.

Mr Gwyndaf Hughes
Mr Gwyndaf Hughes
2 years ago

Shame on all the members. Passing the buck to a committee. Have pride, respect and love for your country. They’d quickly support the welsh version if their expenses depended on it.

Rhiannon
Rhiannon
2 years ago

Rhiad cadw yr enw Cymraeg!

GARETH WESTACOTT
GARETH WESTACOTT
2 years ago

Siomedig iawn! Nobody would say ‘Ceylon’ instead of ‘Sri Lankar, anymore, or ‘Bombay’ instead of ‘Mumbai’, so ….

hdavies15
hdavies15
2 years ago

Well I might use names like Bombay or Calcutta when at home here yng Nghymru. However I would NOT expected them to appear on road signs, maps or anything else within India. Sat in London I might expect to hear Snowdon/Snowdonia but on the A470 or anywhere else yng Nghymru only Yr Wyddfa ac Eryri would suffice.

Charles Evans
Charles Evans
2 years ago

Great idea – why don’t we take it further? Ban Cymraeg-speakers from using the name “Caer” for Chester, or “Croesoswallt” for Oswestry. Welsh names for Welsh places, English names for English places.

Gary Owen
Gary Owen
2 years ago
Reply to  Charles Evans

I Could happily live with that, Yr Wyddfa it is then !

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