Welsh Place Names S
SAINT ASAPH / LLANELWY (Clw) Ecc'e de Sco. Asaph' (1254) / Lanhelewey (1345). Meaning: WELSH llan ‘church' on the River Elwy, derived from el- ‘to go'. St. Asaph, died c. 600, was a monk under St. Kentigern.
SAINT BRIDES (Dyf) Bridechirche (1311). Earliest Record: de Sancto Brigida (13th cent). Meaning: "St. Brigid's church". St. Brigid (c. 450 - c. 525) founded the first nunnery on Irish soil.
SAINT CLEARS / SANCLER (Dyf) Seint Cler Earliest Record: de Sancto Claro (1291). Meaning: LATIN sanctus ‘saint' and the personal name Clarus. (There are six known St. Clarus's; this isn't one of them.)
SAINT DAVIDS / TYDDEWI (Dyf) Miniu (12th century). Earliest Record: yn hy Ddewi (15th cent). Meaning: "the church of St. David". In WELSH "ty ‘house (church) ‘ of Dewi". The form shown on the map, from mynyw ‘grove, bush', is the name of the place where St. David, born in South Wales during the 5th century, founded his monastery.
SAINT DOGMAELS (Dyf) Llandodog Meaning: St. Dogmael was a 5th- 6th century Welsh monk. The abbey dates from c. 1115.
SEVERN, RIVER. Earliest Record: Sabrina (115-7) Saverne (c. 1140) / Haffren (1257). Earliest Welsh Record: Habren (c. 800). Meaning: a very old name of unknown origin.
SHIRENEWTON (Gwe) Sherrevesneuton (1287). Meaning: from OE scir-gerefa ‘sheriff', niwe ‘new' and tun ‘farm'.
SHOTTON (Clw) Schotton (1284). Meaning: from OE sceat ‘nook' or scot ‘hut' and tun ‘farm'. The personal name Scott (meaning ‘an Irishman') is also possible.
SHREWSBURY (Shr) Salopesberie (13th century) / Pengwern Earliest Record: civitas Scrobbensis (901). Meaning: probably "the OE burg ‘fort' in the scrob ‘brushwood' ". In WELSH it was pen ‘the end' of the gwern ‘swamp'.
SKENFRITH (Gwe) Skynefrith (1291). Earliest Record: Kenefrid (1190). Meaning: an ENGLISH corruption of the WELSH name, derived from WELSH ynys ‘island' and the personal name Cynwraidd. The castle was built after 1201.
SKOKHOLM ISLAND (Dyf) Stockholm (1275). Meaning: the early forms vary between St- and Sc. It probably derives from OSCAN stokkr ‘log' in an alternative meaning of ‘narrow river, straight sound'; the change to Sk- would relate the name to nearby Skomer Island.
SKOMER ISLAND (Dyf) Skalmey (1324). Meaning: from OSCAN skálm ‘short sword', ie. ‘cloven', ey ‘island'.
SNOWDON / YR WYDDFA (Gwy) Snaudon (1284) / Yr Wyddfa Earliest Record: Snawdune (1095). Meaning: OE snaw ‘snow' and dun ‘hill'. Welsh Meaning: from WELSH Y gwyddfa ‘the cairn, tumulus'; Eryri, from eryr ‘eagle' refers to the mountains in general.
SOUGHTON / SYCHDYN (Clw) Sotton (1284). Earliest Record: Sutone (1086). Meaning: OE sud ‘south' tun ‘farm'.
SPITTAL (Dyf) Spital (1319). Earliest Record: de Ospitali (1259). Meaning: ME spitel ‘house of the sick or deceased'. (This is a corruption of hospital.) It belonged to St. David's monastery.
STACKPOLE (Dyf) Stakepol (1230). Meaning: OSCAN stakkr ‘haystack', in dialect ‘rock off the coast', and pollr ‘pool'. Thus, "the pool near Stack rock."
STEYNTON (Dyf) Steinton (1291). Meaning: OE stan ‘stone' tun ‘farm, enclosure'.
STRATA FLORIDA (Dyf) Strata Florida Meaning: a Latin form of WELSH ystrad ‘vale' and fflur ‘flowers'. The Abbey was founded in 1164.
SWANSEA / ABERTAWE (WGl) Sweynise (1256) / Abertawe (1191). Earliest Record: Sweynesse (1153-84). Earliest Welsh Record: Aper Tyui (c. 1150). Meaning: from an OLD NORSE personal name Sveinn and saer ‘sea' or ey ‘island'. Welsh Meaning: aber ‘mouth' of the River Tawe. The river name is related to a supposed CELTIC tamesa probably meaning ‘river, dark river'.