SiriolWelsh place names are being erased – and so are the stories they tell. Professor Rhys Jones from Aberystwyth University casts his expert eye over a topic which continues to spark controversy. #Wales https://theconversation.com/welsh-place-names-are-being-erased-and-so-are-the-stories-they-tell-197832
Rita Singer@siriol Sadly no mention of the List of Historic Place Names and the stellar work undertaken by the Welsh Place Names Officer. https://historicplacenames.rcahmw.gov.uk/
@_bydbach_ It does get mentioned underneath a caption. 800 words means editorial sacrifices.
@siriol I fully appreciate that. 800 words is a masterclass in writing. Overall, James January-McCann might have been a better authority to write about what's happening in Wales around place names as that is his entire job. He could have pointed out that more Welsh names are created or reinstated than are getting lost. As for the lost names, some of them aren't, e.g. Hakuna Matata house. That was a new-build on a land that was never renamed. The overall picture is actually much more positive.
@siriol With regards to legislation, WG has resisted the move because it would cause all kinds of problems. Like: what historic spelling are we going to use? The modern Dolgellau or the historic Dolgelley (which is actually closer to how locals pronounce the name). Do we rename some properties to their historic English name? What happens to all those Viking names? Why isn't a Welsh family allowed to name their new house Hakuna Matata when it holds deep meaning for them?
@_bydbach_ Rhys Jones did a great job in explaining the issue to a wider audience.