The citizen., 1913-09-12
Pennsylvania Towns and
Streams Indicate Origin.
Welsh Colony Left Its Impress Upon
Territory Near Philadelphia
Along the Delaware River
Upper and Lower Dublin.

hiladelphia-Few states have such
peculiar names as Pennsylvania and
the vicinity of this city contributes a
complement of them, besides telling as
correctly as history itself of the ma
tionality of early settlers and the
places whence they came.
These, in many instances, show the
philology of the language to which
they belong; others have been trans
planted from beyond the seas, and
some, such as those of Indian origin,
designate the topography of the To-
calities they name.
Early Welsh settlers left their i'm
press on territory contiguous to Phila-
delphia by naming their settlements
after towns, hills and valleys in their
native Gwalia. Bryn Mawr, is one Of
the places they named. Bryn means
hill and Mawr is great or big, and
Pencoyd is the Welsh for head of the
woods. Pen means head and coyd is
woods.
Bala, across the Schuylkill from
Manayunk, in the Welsh is town. 1t
was named after the birthplace of the
late George B. Roberts, one time presi-
dent of the Pennsylvania Railroad
company. Bala is also the Gaelic Of
town, and is one of the evidences of
the similarity between the tongues.
Gladwyne, which was included in the
old Welsh tract on the west side of
the Schuylkill, means white or clean
section, while Bethryn means broad or
open place, and Uchlyn is the upper
lake. Uch is upper and lynn is lake.
Some say that Upper Dublin and
Lower Dublin, both suburban places,
were not named by Irish settlers but
by Welsh colonists, and the reason
claimed for this is that the name Dub
lin is Welsh as well as Irish. The
Welsh for Dublin is dark pool or pwll
Du, while the Irish for Dublin is
Dubh Lin, or black pool Dubh Lin
was originally that part of the River
Liffey on which the city of Dublin now
stands. Our Dublin may be Irish, but
like the Welsh names, it was trans
planted and has no bearing whatever
upon the topography of the northern
tier of this city.
There are North Wales and Gwy-
nedd, on the North Penn branch of the
Philadelphia & Reading railway. They
are on a tract of land bought by
James Penn" and transferred to the
Welsh colony, which named it Gwy-
nedd. The land was divided later and
each of the two sets of colonists want
ed the name Gwynedd retained, but
both wanted 1t for their respective
section. There was a compromise on
the northern part being named North
Wales and the lower part was permit
ted TO be Gwynedd, which means white
land, or northland, In old Welsh. To
live in Wales was an aspiration OF
these sturdy colonists.
In the same territory as Upper Dub
lin is the hamlet of Kincora. Kin is
the Gaelic or old Celtic for head and
cora is sweet scented. There is moth
ing in the locality which calls for sNch
a cognomen; no knolls hills Of flowers
or ferns scent it at any period of the
year.
Cornwell is from the old Celtic name
corn wall, which means horned cliffs
such as are on the coast of Cornwall
and from where it got its name in the
early ages of the British Isles.
Tullytown is half Celtic also. but
when you reach Tacony and hear the
conductor shout "Tackoo-nee," ther
you should know he is giving you g
touch OF the Indian dialect of the
Delawares tribe. The Delawares are
credited with doing the christening il
their tongue after swamp near the
river. There are many Indian name:
! along the Delaware all the way up tt
Pocono, big hills, and Manunka Chunk
| highest mountain spot.
4 =.