Gorffennaf 2004 July

Did You Know?

Everyone knows that the word ‘glas’ means the word ‘blue’ in English but when it appears in a place or house name it invariably means ‘green’ i.e., Glasfryn, also in the word ‘glaswellt’ meaning grass or more from literally ‘green straw’. ‘Glas’ can also mean ‘silver’ or ‘grey’, ‘gleision’.

According to the definition in the dictionary the word or name ‘Glesni’ means ‘blueness’ or ‘verdure’ which translates back into Welsh as ‘gwyrddlesni’, yet again including the colour ‘green’. In Gaelic the word is ‘glass’ which always means ‘green’.

The word ‘glas’ in Welsh can also be used to describe something or someone who is young, new or immature e.g., the first week for new students in College is described as ‘Wythnos y Glas’, ‘Fresher’s Week’.

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