Colli Iaith

Colli Iaith ~ Losing language


“Colli iaith a cholli urddas / Colli awen, colli barddas / Colli coron aur cymdeithas / Ac yn eu lle cael bratiaith fas. ~ Losing language and losing dignity / Losing muse and losing bardism / Losing the golden crown of society / And in its place a shallow debased language.”
― Elin Fflur, (Colli Iaith - Losing Language)

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Mae yna ŵr bonheddig sy’n dod i’r grŵp Cymraeg y roedd ei dad yn siarad Cymraeg ond heb ei throsglwyddo. Roedd adeg yng Nghymru lle digwyddodd hyn ym mhobman. Cafodd Cymraeg ei gweld fel ail ddosbarth, a doedd y bobol ddim yn dysgu eu plant. Felly nawr mae rhaid i ni drwsio'r difrod.

Mae hen lyfr newydd gyda fi 'Old Whitchurch' gan E.L. Chappell (Priory Press , 1945). Ffeindiais i'r llyfr yn y llyfrgell, a meddyliais i fod rhaid i fi brynu copi fy hun. Felly trwy'r hudol rhyngrwyd, dyma ni.

Mae E.L. Chappell [Alderman Edgar Leyshon Chappell (1879-1949)] yn trafod yr enw 'The Philog', enw rydw i wedi bod yn gwybod yr holl fy mywyd, ond rydw i erioed wedi gwybod ystyr y gair. Yn anffodus, doedd E.L. Chappell, yn ysgrifennu yn 1945, ddim yn gwybod chwaith.

Dwedodd e:

// A well-defined district of Whitchurch immediately adioining Cardiff is the Philog, a name which has never been satisfactorily explained. Obviously the ph is an Anglicised form of the Welsh f. I have searched the Church Registers, Highway Board and School Records and other ancient documents and have found the following name-forms :

Ffilocks (1752, 1753), Filog (1865, 1867, 1868, 1883), Fillog (1798, 1828), Fullog (1867), Ffillog Brook (1809), Fillawg (1874), Philog (1822, 1885), Tulog (1877), Fillock (1819, 1827, 1829, 1831), Ffulog (1884), Phillocks (1835), Philog Bridge (1888) . The Phillock (1858), Filocks (1850), Fylog (1862)

Whilst the name has been standardised in its present form only during the the last half century it will be noted that one example of the form occcurred as carly as 1822. Correct spelling was not a strong suit in olden days. Four different forms occur in the Church Reister during a period of 20 years after 1820, whilst four other completely dilfferent forms occur in the Highway Board returns between 1861 and 1884.

It does not seem safe to venture any definite solution on forms of so modern date, When earlier records are available it may be possible to fix the neaning with some degree of accuracy. At the present all that can be done is to suggest the possibility of the name being derived from one of the following Welsh words, all of which are more or less archaic, vin:

Ffilog or fillock, a young mare or filly; Ffulawg, a wanton or loose gir; Ffuliog (adj.), full of bustle, hurrying Ffyliog (adj.), overgrown, gloomy

If the name was originally a stream name either of the two lastnamed descriptive terms might apply. The forms given, however, do not seem to fit in with these words, There was, 1 am informed, formerly an old cottage near the brook to which the name was also applied, and it may be that there was a field name in the same locality, e.g., Waun y Ffilog—the mare's meadow, from which both the stream and the locality derived its name. I have, however, not been able to discover such a name, Until such a name is found the suggestion must remain a mere speculation. //

Rydw i'n ddiolchgar iawn i E.L. Chappell am ei waith. Rydw i'n gwybod mwy nawr nag o'r blaen, hyd yn oed os dydw i ddim yn gwybod yr ateb.

Mae'n nodweddiadol yn hanes Cymru. Siaradwyr Saesneg yn ysgrifennu'r hyn y maen nhw'n meddwl eu bod wedi clywed, heb ddeall, a chollir yr enw, yr ystyr a'r hanes.

Mae llawer o enwau ar draws Cymru wedi dioddef fel hyn ac ae'n dda os rydyn ni'n gallu ffeindio'r enwau cywir, hanesion, ayyb.

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There is a gentleman who comes to the Welsh group whose father spoke Welsh but did not pass it on. There was a time in Wales where this happened everywhere. Welsh was seen as second class, and the people did not teach their children. So now we have to repair the damage.

I have a new old book 'Old Whitchurch' by E.L. Chappell (Priory Press, 1945). I found the book in the library, and thought I had to buy a copy myself.  So through the magical internet, here we are.

E.L. Chappell [Alderman Edgar Leyshon Chappell (1879-1949)] discusses the name 'The Philog', a name I i have known all my life. but I've never known the meaning of the word. Unfortunately, E.L. Chappell, writing in 1945, didn't know either.

He said:

// A well-defined district of Whitchurch immediately adjoining Cardiff is the Philog, a name which has never been satisfactorily explained. Obviously the ph is an Anglicised form of the Welsh f. I have searched the Church Registers, Highway Board and School Records and other ancient documents and have found the following name-forms:

Ffilocks (1752, 1753), Filog (1865, 1867, 1868, 1883), Fillog (1798, 1828), Fullog (1867), Ffillog Brook (1809), Fillawg (1874), Philog (1822, 1885), Tulog ( 1877), Fillock (1819, 1827, 1829, 1831), Phillock (1884), Phillocks (1835), Phillog Bridge (1888) . The Phillock (1858), Phillocks (1850), Fylog (1862)

Whilst the name has been standardized in its present form only during the last half century it will be noted that one example of the form occurred as recently as 1822. Correct spelling was not a strong suit in olden days. Four different forms occur in the Church Register during a period of 20 years after 1820, whilst four other completely different forms occur in the Highway Board returns between 1861 and 1884.

It does not seem safe to venture any definite solution on forms of so modern date, When earlier records are available it may be possible to fix the meaning with some degree of accuracy. At the present all that can be done is to suggest the possibility of the name being derived from one of the following Welsh words, all of which are more or less archaic, viz:

Flilog or fillock, a young mare or filly; Fulawg, a wanton or loose gir; Fhuliog (adj.), full of bustle, hurrying Fhuliog (adj.), overgrown, gloomy

If the name was originally a stream name either of the two last named descriptive terms might apply. The forms given, however, do not seem to fit in with these words, There was, 1 am informed, formerly an old cottage near the brook to which the name was also applied, and it may be that there was a field name in the same locality, e.g., Waun y Ffilog — the mare's meadow, from which both the stream and the locality derive its name. I have, however, not been able to discover such a name, Until such a name is found the suggestion must remain a mere speculation. //

I am very grateful to E.L. Chappell for his work. I know more now than before, even if I don't know the answer.

It is typical in Welsh history. English speakers write what they think they have heard, without understanding, and the name, meaning and history are lost.

Many names across Wales have suffered in this way and it would be good if we could find the correct names, histories, etc.

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Disgrifiad (Cymraeg) : Ty o'r enw 'The Philog' ar 'The Philog' yn yr Eglwys Newydd, Caerdydd. Mae cerfluniau yn yr ardd a modelau wrth y ffenestr.

Description (English) : A house called 'The Philog' on 'The Philog' in Whitchurch, Cardiff. There are statues in the garden and mannequins at the window.

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