Aberaeron

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small coastal town on the western shore of Wales in the county of Ceredigion, known for its brightly painted harbour houses
2. A seaside settlement in Ceredigion, western Wales, situated on Cardigan Bay and noted for its colourful waterfront buildings
3. A Welsh coastal community in the Ceredigion region, lying on the shore of Cardigan Bay and famous for its pastel-coloured harbour

Etymology: Aberaeron is a place name rather than a word that evolved through common usage, and its meaning is transparent once you split it into its two parts. "Aber" is a Welsh word meaning the mouth of a river, where it runs into the sea, and it appears in countless Welsh place names. The second element is the River Aeron, which flows into Cardigan Bay at this spot. Put together, the name simply means "the mouth of the River Aeron." The town takes its name directly from its position at the river's outlet. Because the harbour sits where the water meets the sea, the settlement's identity has always been tied to that estuary, and the name records that geography rather than any legend or founder.