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Mellionec: Clover or Violets

Update: Quimper-Vannes has moved to a new site: https://quimpervannes.substack.com/

This Blogger site is now an archive. New articles, extracts and launch news for the English edition and French translation will appear on Substack.


Mellionnec    Melioneg

There is a chance (however slim) of a connexion with either Saint-Melanius (6th century Bishop of Rennes) or Saint-Mellonius (3rd century Bishop of Rouen). This would link Mellionec with St. Mellon’s, near Cardiff; St. Mellion, Mullion and Lamellion (Cornwall).


On the other hand, its origins may lie in W: meillion, ‘clover’ [B: melchen/melchon; C: mellyon ]  which would link it with Cwm Meillionen and Maes-meillion, ‘clover hill’ and ‘clover field’ (Wales). 
Cwm Meillionen
A last possibility is OB: mellhionou, ‘violets’ [C: mellyon; W: mellhionou]. What surprised me, however, is that the two are related in Cornish: it is an either/or as shown above. Maybe they are in (Old) Breton and (Old) Welsh too.



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