Ynys Wen Fawr (enes-wen-vaoor)

Welsh for Great White Island.

Ynys - island in both modern and old Welsh.

Wen - the old/poetic form of the modern word gwyn - white, as in the name Bronwen - white breast (The Mabinogion)

Fawr - female form of mawr-big/great (Welsh adjectives mutate depending on the sex of the noun they describe and "ynys" is female).

On the same theme we could have:

Ynys Wyrdd (Fawr) - (Great) Green Island (much more appropriate considering the countryside :-))

Edit 28 June, 2007

Mistress Jaelle has pointed out a regrettable conflict with this name.

It's not a problem w/ style or language, but with the way the College registers names, and distinguishes names one from another.

Here's her explanation.

I am afraid that it is a conflict. You see Yns Fawr is already a modified name (Barony of the Big Island), with big modifing Island.

So, Yns Wen Fawr (Barony of the Big white Island) is adding a second modifier to an already modified name. And that doesn't help for conflict.

Here is the relevant rule:

"V.2.c. Conflict of Names with Different Numbers of Elements - Two non-personal names with different numbers of descriptive elements conflict if the only difference in the descriptive parts is the

addition of one or more modifiers to a single, already modified root element.

"The addition of one or more modifiers to an unmodified noun is a significant change, so Black Lion Herald does not conflict with Lyon King of Arms. The Order of the Black Rampant Lion conflicts with the

Black Lion Herald, however, since Rampant is added to an already modified noun. (Adding further modifiers to an already modified noun is not a significant change because it is generally not good period

style.)"

Unfotunately this is exactly like the case in the rules, where Black Rampant Lion conflicts with Black Lion.

I hate being the bearer of bad news, but it is better to know now than to get your heart set on something you can't have.

Yours in service,

Jaelle

A simple country herald