What’s in a Name? Celtic Place Names around Tynemouth - Pen Bal Crag

There was a time when Welsh was spoken all across this country, and some of it remains in the very oldest features of the land. Take for example: Pen Bal Crag.

[@schmozzer]

Pen can also mean 'end' and what Leland writes may be 'pen y ' like Pen y ghent in Yorkshire. Pen can also be associated with a boundary. There is a house by a bridge on a parish boundary in Shropshire called Pen y Bont. It means literally 'end the bridge' ie the bridge is at the end of the territory.

[@davidjames3787]

Very interesting video. One point though, the 'pen' in peninsula is from Latin meaning almost, therefore peninsula means 'almost island'. As such I doubt that it is related to pen or ben meaning head or mountain etc'.

[@LuanHanratty]

Thank you David

[@LuanHanratty]

Original post: penbal.uk/whats-in-a-name-celtic-places-names-around-tynemouth-part-1-penbal-crag/

[@damionkeeling3103]

Baile meaning town in Irish/Gaelic might have some connection to bailey, vallum. It's hard to explain why this word exists when there doesn't appear to be a Welsh cognate. There is an Irish cognate for Welsh tref though - treabh, which can also refer to ploughing. So baile might be a loan from Latin via the Normans.

[@LuanHanratty]

Thank you Damion

[@vurtigoneiii275]

More likely a lone word from Latin to Welsh directly from the Romans.