Radnorshire

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Radnorshire is a historic county in mid-Wales, now administratively part of Powys, known for its hills and rural landscape
2. A traditional Welsh county located in the central border region of Wales, now merged into the modern county of Powys
3. An old administrative area of eastern Wales whose name survives in local history, lying within the present-day county of Powys

Etymology: Radnorshire is named after the town of Radnor, and the town's name is English rather than Welsh. Radnor most likely comes from Old English words meaning "red slope" or "red bank," probably a reference to the local ground. The area's Welsh name, Maesyfed, comes from a separate tradition. The "-shire" ending is the Old English "scīr," an administrative district, so the name roughly means "the Radnor district." The same ending appears in Yorkshire and Wiltshire. Radnorshire was an administrative county in mid-Wales until it was merged into Powys, so the name now survives mainly in local usage and older records.