The photo doesn't much look like a rake, does it?
Whilst ironing I did think of an alternative explanation. Some words can
take a suffix of -yn to mean a little version of that thing - something
like -ette in French eg bachgen (boy), bachgenyn (small boy). Crib means
both a comb (unlikely in this context) but also a ridge (on a mountain).
Although I can't remember hearing of cribyn in this sense, ie a small ridge,
it is perfectly possible. In which case gribyn fach is a tautologous way of
saying small ridge. A bit less imaginative but possibly more realistic
explanation?
Rhian
----- Original Message -----
From: "Katherine Benbow" <benbow.family(a)gmail.com>
To: <powys(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 29, 2010 5:28 PM
Subject: Re: [POWYS] meaning of gribyn
Well, here's the link to the photo of the hill, if that will help
...
http://www.benbowfamily.com/showmedia.php?mediaID=59&all=1
Thanks!
Katherine Benbow
On Sun, Aug 29, 2010 at 11:55 AM, Rhian Williams <
rhian.williams3(a)tinyworld.co.uk> wrote:
> Not being familiar with the shape of this hill, I'd think it likely that
> gribyn is a mutated form of cribyn / cribin meaning a rake (garden or
> farming implement). It could be that it was a shortened version of Y
> Gribyn
> Fach (the small rake), where y causes the mutation. Might the shape of
> the
> hill have ridges as does soil that has been raked? Or be long and thin
> with
> a wider cross piece at the end?
>
> Rhian
>
>
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