Cardiff
/ˈkɑːdɪf/noun
The capital city of Wales, on the River Taff.
Did you know?The name preserves a Brittonic fortress term, with the first element likely meaning “fort” and the second referring to the River Taff, so a city name became a geographic spell of place and power.
Etymological Timeline
Roman Britain
Brittonic
*caer
“fort, fortification”
Roman Britain
Brittonic
*Taf
“the river name Taff”
9th Century
Latin
Caerdyf
“fort on the Taff”
11th-12th Century
Welsh
Caerdydd
“Cardiff; fort of the Taff”
Modern English
English
Cardiff
“the city name in English form”