Welsh Government launches new plan to safeguard Welsh language place names

The public are being asked to help safeguard Welsh language place names, as part of a new government plan to protect Wales’ linguistic heritage.

The Welsh Government will launch a new website where anyone can record Welsh and historic names missing from online maps.

Whether it’s the name your grandfather used for a local field, the Welsh name for a hill near you, or the historic name of your street or home, you can help preserve these for future generations.

The public are also being encouraged to contribute to online resources like Wikipedia by recording sound clips showing how place names should be pronounced and providing phonetic spellings, and to help people understand the rich stories behind local names.

Research

It comes as part of a set of priorities announced to safeguard Welsh place names.

These respond to recent research which found that most changes to property names don’t involve a change in language, but when they do they are three times more likely to be renamed from English to Welsh than the other way around.

Other priorities include issuing clearer guidance for local authorities and organisations responsible for place names, and commissioning further research into the names of physical features in the landscape, like hills and streams.

Its comes following work by Welsh mapping projects such as Mapio Cymru and the List of Historic Place Names and the renaming of public bodies such as Eryri and Bannau Brycheiniog National Parks.

‘Proud’

Welsh language Secretary Mark Drakeford said: “Place names tell the story of who we are and where we’ve come from.

“These new measures will ensure that our Welsh place names – from legendary mountains like Cadair Idris to Felin Wen, an old mill that tells the story of a small community – are protected for future generations while making it easier for everyone to get involved.”

Naomi Jones, Director of Land Management at Eryri National Park Authority said: “Place names are a vital feature of the cultural heritage of Snowdonia.

“They belong to the land and to the story of generations of residents in the area, and our communities are a hub of unique knowledge about our wonderful place names.

“We are particularly proud to see an opportunity for people to contribute their knowledge in a way that will protect the names and inspire others to use them widely in the countryside.”