Welsh Lake Names Get a Big Revamp

Hey, so Eryri National Park is making some big moves! They all agreed—like, every single member—to start using proper Welsh Lakes names for the lakes. There’s been a whole fuss about losing their cool historic names, and the Park’s taking action.

Who’s Not Happy?

This comedian Tudur Owen and Siân Gwenllian, MS—they’re not keeping quiet about it. They’ve been making noise, saying we should hold onto those old names.

What’s the Plan?

So, the National Park hooked up with the School of Welsh at Cardiff University for a pilot project. They wanna dig deep into Eryri’s history and keep those cool old names safe. Like, they want these names to stick around in conversations, maps, and even in books for future generations.

Mixing Up Names

You wouldn’t believe it, but depending on where you look, these lakes have totally different names in English and Welsh. Like, Australia Lake is actually Llyn Bochlwyd, Bala Lake is Llyn Tegid, and Bearded Lake is Llyn Barfog. Wild, right?

Sorting Things Out

They’re doing some serious work here. They’re looking at all the different versions of names, checking out if they’ve got hyphens or different forms. And hey, they’re making sure everyone uses the right names, like calling Tal y Llyn Lake by its proper name, Llyn Myngul.

Getting It Right

This team is taking this stuff seriously. They’ve got experts looking into the history and meaning behind each name. Plus, they’re making sure to talk to locals and folks who really know their stuff about these places.

Realizing the Mistakes

Turns out, loads of these names have been totally wrong on maps for years. But this project’s fixing all that up, making sure everything’s spot on.

What the Experts Say

Dr. Eleri James from the Welsh Language Commissioner’s team is hyped about this. They’re saying it’s a big deal to get these names right, especially ’cause they won’t always show up on signs. So, having them accurate on maps is key to keeping ’em alive for the next generations.

And Dr. Dylan Foster from Cardiff University’s School of Welsh is stoked too. He thinks having one set of names for everyone is awesome, especially in this digital age when info spreads quick online.

What’s Next?

This is just the start! They’ve made a sweet list of lake names, all proper and standardized. Now, they’re eyeing waterfalls and peaks for the same treatment. These names mean a lot to these places, and they’re not taking any chances on losing them.