Cwm
/kuːm/noun
A steep-sided hollow or valley, especially in Wales.
Did you know?Cwm is a Welsh loanword, and its spelling looks bizarre to English speakers because the initial <c> is pronounced like /k/ in Welsh orthography, not /s/.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Celtic
P-Celt
*kumbo-
“a hollow, valley, or bowl-shaped depression”
Old Welsh
Welsh
cwm
“a valley or hollow”
Middle Welsh
Welsh
cwm
“a hollow, mountain valley”
18th–19th Century
English
cwm
“a Welsh mountain hollow or cirque”
Modern English
English
cwm
“a steep-sided hollow or valley, especially in Wales”