Interpretations of the
Golden Valley
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Water is at the heart of the Golden Valley. It is likely that the name itself derives from the mispronunciation by the Normans of the word dwr (water), which sound a lot like d’or to the ear.
The word dwr originates from Proto-Indo-European language dʰubrós (“deep”), which is estimated to have been spoken as a single language from 4500 BC to 2500 BC during the Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age.
As groups of people split the language evolved into Proto-Celtic (dubros) in the Late Bronze Age from the last quarter of the second millennium BC.
There was a further refinement into welsh Celtic language (duβr) from the Common Brittonic language spoken throughout Great Britain south of the Firth of Forth during the Iron Age and Roman period.
It was spoken as Old Welsh from about 800 AD until the early 12th century when it developed into Middle Welsh (dwfyr) in the 12th to 15th centuries.
It’s an old word for an old place, which we can trace back to the peoples who we know have lived here since Neolithic times.
Sally Spreckley
