The aim of standardizing terms is to agree upon a single standardized term to be used to refer to a specific concept. As a result, we do not undertake to change a previously standardized term lightly. However, occasionally it becomes apparent that it is no longer appropriate to recognize the term that was originally standardized as the standard term for that concept.
On the rare occasion that we feel that there is a strong reason for changing a term that has been standardized, we will publish the original term, the amended term and the reasons for the change in the table below.
| English Term | Original Term | Amended Standard Term | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| hanging valley | crognant | dyffryn crog | This term was changed at the behest of Geology subject specialists. This concept denotes a valley which is situated off another valley and higher up. It is not necessary for a stream (Welsh ‘nant’) to be present, although it is a common occurrence. More importantly, it is not the presence of a stream or a flow of water that denotes a ‘hanging valley’. Rather, it is characterized by the fact that it is a valley located some distance above a connected valley. In terms of etymology, it is true that ‘nant’ in old Welsh used to have the same meaning as ‘valley’, but that meaning has been lost in modern Welsh, so that ‘nant’ now denotes a stream or a flow of water. |