Yr Wyddfa: Snowdon to be known by Welsh name from now on after national park vote
The English name of Snowdon for Wales’ highest mountain will be replaced by the Welsh name of Yr Wyddfa, following a vote today.
Snowdonia National Park Authority committee members voted to use the Welsh names of Eryri (Snowdonia) and Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) in both Welsh and English contexts.
A five thousand-strong petition calling on the National Park Authority to formalise the authority’s use of the Welsh names Eryri and Yr Wyddfa boosted it to take decisive action.
The petition was instigated in response to a proposal by Councillor John Pughe Roberts for the authority to cease to use the English names Snowdon and Snowdonia.
The proposal was rejected at that time on the basis that a group had already been established to look at the use of place names.
Dr Dylan Foster Evans of Cardiff University was commissioned by the Place Names Task and Finish Group to compile a series of principles for use as guidance when referring to geographical names in the Eryri / Snowdonia National Park.
Naomi Jones, Head of Cultural Heritage at the Snowdonia National Park Authority said: “Many public bodies across Wales have moved to use both the Welsh and English names, or the Welsh name only, when referring to Yr Wyddfa and Eryri, as have many of the mainstream English-language press and filming companies.
“This is very encouraging, and gives us confidence that this change in the authority’s approach will be accepted for the benefit of the Welsh language and as a mark of respect to our cultural heritage.
“We have historic names in both languages, but we are eager to consider the message we wish to convey about place names, and the role they have to play in our current cultural heritage by promoting the Welsh language as one of the National Park’s special qualities.
“The National Park’s statutory purposes denotes the requirement to protect and enhance our cultural heritage and provide opportunities for people to learn about and enjoy the special qualities. By referring to our most renowned landmarks by their Welsh names we give people from all over the world the opportunity to engage with the Welsh language and its rich culture.”
Welsh move
A move towards using the Welsh names in English context started a few years ago, with many of the authority’s English version of publications and digital communications media using the names Eryri and Yr Wyddfa, with a reference to the English names in brackets to follow.
The Welsh and English names for the authority are set in law, so it will be a legal requirement for the authority to continue to use its English name alongside the Welsh on statutory documents.
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Excellent news. The first of many reclaiming of our place names. Excited to see the Daily Torygraph have an emotional collapse over this. ARTie is gonna have an embolism. Oh happy days!
Ynys Môn, Ynys Enlli and Ynys Bŷr in the next wave perhaps?
Yes!
And ‘Cymru’!
About bleddy time dump all English names in Wales asap
Good
It’s a start
I remember Tudor Owen on the Jeremy Vine show talking about this and callers in England giving it the thumbs down as though we had just made up an alternative name for it. The name of the mountain is Yr Wyddfa and was a very long time before someone felt they had the right to stamp their own name on it and eradicate the real one. This starts to reverse that abuse. Now, what’s next? There’s a great deal more to do,
Don’t translate names, fantastic news. You visit a country for its language and culture. Tourists don’t like, then they are not wanted, they won’t respect us on a visit here.
Ardderchog!
Gallwch ddychmygu’r Sais yn ceisio ynganu hyn. “Eeer Widffa” yw’r agosaf y bydda nw’n gallu cyflawni dwi’n credu.
Mae’n hen bryd.
Dyma’r Cymru. Mae’n Gymraeg.
Onid oes modd newid deddf i gynnwys yr enw Cymraeg yn unig?
Ydyn ni’n cael gwared â’r ‘Nameless Cwm’ ac erchyllterau tebyg ar fapiau’r AO ?
Dylsen ni — dyw’r Nameless Cwm ddim yn ddienw o gwbl! Cwm Cneifion yw e.
Remember the BBC “Have I Got News For You” with Alexander Armstrong about Snowdon jokes.
I saw a comment that said it makes more sense to use Eryri and Snowdon based on historical origins.
I don’t think we can say this is totally taking names back to their routes, and we probably won’t see positive impact of this for 25+ years but it will come.
I’ve heard such comments. Mainly from English people. I’ll take our names every time on the basis that this is our land. Cymru literally means “our land”. Even if the Saeson name were older than our name, even if our name name were brand new, we get to name our own stuff.
Ardderchog!
Now let’s also drop ridiculous names like Rhos-on-Sea and Llantwit too.
Very Good and rational decision. What sort of self respecting nation sacrifices its own language on the alter of Better relations with its neighbouring country. The British language is still here!
Wonderful news! Yr Wyddfa like it’s Australian Aborigine counterpart Uluru has been culturally liberated. I look forward to the day when the name Wales & Welsh are also consigned to history and we return to our native British name for our country Cymru and we refer to ourselves as Cymry as we are not foreigners in our own land but the original native people of this island. .
Turkey has recently changed the spelling of it’s name to Türkiye and Kiev has changed to Kyiv, and in Kiev’s case according to the western media it’s a defiant and important symbol of a fight against oppression, I would suggest it’s within the Senedd’s power to tell the rest of the world we are Cymru.
Syniad dda. Rwy’n hoffi clwyed iethoid Cymraeg.
Whatever you call our highest point it would be well to ensure that the photo labelled with its name is actually a photo of it.
It’s unfortunate though that the name will now be absolutely shredded through mispronunciation, like the “Carneddow” and “Cadair Burwin”; we’ll soon have “Yer Widdfer” and other nonsense. Personally I’d rather have kept both names and kept Yr Wyddfa for those who can say it properly, but that’s just my opinion and I’m sure others will feel different.
Da iawn wir cefnogaeth i’r Gymraeg Eryri a Chyngor Gwynedd. Dowch I lawr o ben y mynydd na a dechrau wrth eich traed Mrs cadeirydd cyngor cymuned llanbedr a chyngor cymuned harlech popeth yn Gymraeg?teg edrych tuag adre ia .Da iawn John Puw
Bendigedig. Growing up in Blaenau Ffestiniog on the edge of the Eryri massif we always referred to Yr Wyddfa and Eryri, They are evocative names whereas Snowdon and Snowdonia are bland, p**s weak names that could apply to any mountain range that gets snowed on.