Understanding Welsh Place Names: What They Mean and How to Say Them (Paperback)

Puzzled by Welsh place names - but want to know what they mean and how to say them? Look no further. This is an exciting full colour pocket guide, "Understanding Welsh Place Names: What They Mean and How to Say Them", from outdoor specialists Northern Eye Books. This innovative yet carefully thought out guide means non-Welsh speakers can now easily translate and understand place names all over Wales - on the map, on road signs, and out in the countryside. Written by native Welsh speaker, Gwili Gog, the book contains not only a comprehensive gazetteer of place names arranged county by modern county - with an authoritative explanation of what each name means - but also a potted history of the Welsh language, a quick look at pronunciation, and a photographic exploration of place names in the landscape, as well as key words accompanied by phonetic explanations of how to pronounce them. But perhaps the most notable element of this book is its themed approach to the ideas and beliefs that lie at the heart of the Welsh language.Separate illustrated text boxes on each double page spread explore more than thirty central topics such as Hills and Mountains; Ancient Animals; Colours in the Countryside; Fords, Ferries and Bridges; Holy Wells; Inns and Taverns; and Funny Place Names. Armed with this insider knowledge, visitors will discover there's a whole unexplored new dimension to the Welsh landscape. In fact, for readers, Wales will never be quite the same again.