Note 12 — Chapter VI · The Folklore of the Wells

Judging from the three best-known instances, y bala meant the outlet of a lake: I allude to this Bala at the outlet of Ỻyn Tegid; Pont y Bala, ‘the Bridge of the bala,’ across the water flowing from the Upper into the Lower Lake at Ỻanberis; and Bala Deulyn, ‘the bala of two lakes,’ at Nantỻe. Two places called Bryn y Bala are mentioned s. v. Bala in Morris’ Celtic Remains, one near Aberystwyth, at a spot which I have never seen, and the other near the lower end of the Lower Lake of Ỻanberis, as to which it has been suggested to me that it is an error for Bryn y Bela. It is needless to say that bala has nothing to do with the Anglo-Irish bally, of such names as Ballymurphy or Ballynahunt: this vocable is in English bailey, and in South Wales beili, ‘a farm yard or enclosure,’ all three probably from the late Latin balium or ballium, ‘locus palis munitus et circumseptus.’ Our etymologists never stop short with bally: they go as far as Balaklava and, probably, Ballarat, to claim cognates for our Bala. ↑