Help: Welsh speakers - Moel?

Subject: Welsh speakers - Moel?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 12:18 PM

Our band is going to perform a Welsh polka called "Moel yr Wyddfa" for the upcoming St David's picnic. (Forgive me if Wyddfa is spelled wrong - I don't have the actual music handy.) We know that Wyddfa is Mount Snowdon, but what does "Moel" mean?

Second question: we may do Llongau Caernarfon. Can anybody tell me in a few words what this air is about?

Subject: RE: Help: Welsh speakers - Moel?
From: MMario
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 12:23 PM

Llongau Caernarfon

"This is a story about a young boy standing at the quayside with his mother and he is asking her why he can't join the adventure of sailing."

Subject: RE: Help: Welsh speakers - Moel?
From: MMario
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 12:28 PM

"Moel yr Wyddfa" is translated as "Snowden's Bald Summit"

Subject: RE: Help: Welsh speakers - Moel?
From: Noreen
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 12:50 PM

I've always thought Moel meant mountain.

Subject: RE: Help: Welsh speakers - Moel?
From: MMario
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 01:42 PM

I don't know - I just know what the English translation is on a bunch of web pages I went to.

Subject: RE: Help: Welsh speakers - Moel?
From: pavane
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 02:46 PM

Mountain is Mynydd (munnuth to us English)

Subject: RE: Help: Welsh speakers - Moel?
From: Matthew Edwards
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 03:29 PM

I have been waiting for Llanfair to lleap in here, and explain to us the complexities of the Welsh language. Consonants undergo strange mutations so that foel as in Foel Fenlli, becomes moel as in Moel Siabod,but both mean "bare, or bald hill". Mynydd means mountain, but there is nevertheless a subsidiary summit of Cader Idris called Mynydd Moel! Yr Wyddfa is of course Snowdon,meaning "the mound or tumulus", and BTW you should never, ever refer to Mount Snowdon.
Speaking from a lifetime's experience of walking the Welsh hills and mountains, I can only add that Welsh placenames can be a minefield for the unwary, and I have more than once climbed the wrong mountain due to topographical confusion, or as my little sister pointed out "You're lost, aren't you."

Subject: RE: Help: Welsh speakers - Moel?
From: BanjoRay
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 03:31 PM

I always thought moel meant breast. The mountain Moelwyn Mawr means large white breast. Its a bit like the scottish hill of a very familiar shape called the Pap of Glencoe - a friend of mine always wanted to go up and fondle the summit cairn. If I'm wrong, please don't tell me - it'll spoil my dreams and fantasies, and I'll never be able to look at certain mountains in the same way again.

Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: Help: Welsh speakers - Moel?
From: Penny S.
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 07:02 PM

Isn't Malvern something like Moel Fryn? And it's not that shape, unless you're driving up the M5 past the Mendips and see it end on.

Penny

Subject: RE: Help: Welsh speakers - Moel?
From: kendall
Date: 03 Jul 01 - 07:17 PM

I thought it was a Rabbi who performed circumcisions.

Subject: RE: Help: Welsh speakers - Moel?
From: Llanfair
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 05:03 AM

I'm on holiday in Llandudno, and using a PC at the library, so I asked the librarian! Moel means "bare". The "wyn"(male) means "breast", "wen" being the female.
Oh yes, and Bron means "white"
Cheers, Bron.

Subject: RE: Help: Welsh speakers - Moel?
From: sian, west wales
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 07:08 AM

Bron, you got that mixed up. Gwyn / Gwen (mutated - wyn / wen) is white and bron is breast. Moel is bald and, when used in conjuction with a mountain, it's the bare summit of a mountain. Moel mutates to Foel when preceded by "Y" (which is sometimes dropped on maps which have been created at some point by non-Welsh speakers) Yr Wyddfa is the actual mountain, and Eryri is Snowdonia.

sian

Subject: RE: Help: Welsh speakers - Moel?
From: BanjoRay
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 07:14 AM

Wrong, Bron - Bron means breast (or chest)- I thought you'd know that! Wen is feminine white, Wyn is masculine white. You are, however, correct about moel - it means bare or bald. There go my lustful dreams of the hills.

Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: Help: Welsh speakers - Moel?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 04 Jul 01 - 01:13 PM

I'm back. Thank you all very much for the information and speculation. Practice is Friday and the extravaganza is Saturday.

Subject: RE: Help: Welsh speakers - Moel?
From: Llanfair
Date: 05 Jul 01 - 09:24 AM

I was just testing!!! Sorry, it's the confusion I get after spending 48 hours with the Aged P's......forgetfulness is catching!!!
Chreers, Bron.