Welsh Placenames Project
The project builds on the report published by the Pwyllgor Iaith (Language Committee) in 2018, that presented a picture of what the various officers and departments within the Council were responsible for with respect to the naming of properties, outlining the need to synchronised he Council’s procedures on the mater as well as highlighting the opportunities available to promote the use of Welsh place names and in turn the status of the Welsh language with our external partners.
The report highlighted the need to:
- Synchronise the way in which the Council operates respect to using Welsh place names
- Ensure that priority is given to Welsh place names when dealing with external partners
- Endeavour to take proactive steps to safeguard and restrict the changing of indigenous names
The aim is that:
- Clear procedures are established within the Council for the effective use of its influence in giving Welsh place names status and protection.
- We will establish a policy or procedure to ensure that any officers within the Council understand their scope of influence and the steps they should take to protect Welsh names.
- That there will be less names being changed to other languages and that our external partners will support the use of Welsh place names as opposed to ‘new’ more recent names.
- That the status of Welsh place names will be raised and that there is, within the county’s residents and visitors, and increased awareness of the importance that these names carry.
The project in general has two directions:
- To look at how property names are changed, how maps and lists are officially updated and what statutory rights under the current legislation does the Council have to influence the situation. The aim is to ensure the implementation of steadfast policies to prevent Welsh names being changed and as a consequence, lost forever.
- To promote the importance of, and to educate the public about place names and the rich history and cultural heritage attached to them. To increase the respect for place names through working with local community groups, schools, societies and by posting entertaining and informative content on social media platforms. The thinking is that more the respect for Welsh placenames, the less likely they are to be changed.
Welsh Placenames Map
The Local Place Names map has been developed by the Council as a way of collecting and recording local Welsh names for places and features within our communities.
It has been specifically designed to record Welsh language names as part of our commitment to protect Welsh language place names that are in danger of being lost forever. Community groups and schools will be able to gain access and contribute some of those names to the map. hat have not been officially recorded, but have been passed on orally as part of the local vernacular.
Mei Mac, Project Officer, said: “There are numerous names for streets, areas, geographical features, bridges and field that never appear on an official map, and yet again they are used locally and vernacularly all the time. They are interesting names, and like all place names are rich in history and local heritage.”
The inputting feature is very easy to use, and includes space to put a description of the site, a bit of background information and even to attach a photo. These records will then appear on the map, with the location identified with a coloured dot – a different colour for different features.
If you are interested in contributing to the map, contact the Language Unit on iaith@gwynedd.llyw.cymru (01286 679629/679469).
We can also organise workshops for schools and visits for community groups, to show how the map works and how to input information.
View Welsh Placenames Map (opens in new tab)
Data protection statement: The Council does not accept any responsibility for the accuracy of the information on the map. Content will be checked by officers, but it is the responsibility of the individual to ensure that no misleading or unsuitable information is included.
The map is in a testing phase at the moment, so if you have any feedback or if you have any problems, please let us know by contacting iaith@gwynedd.llyw.cymru