Aglen is avalley, typically one that is long and bounded by gently sloped concave sides, unlike aravine, which is deep and bounded by steep slopes. Glens are appreciated by tourists for their tranquility and scenery.
The word isGoidelic in origin:gleann inIrish andScottish Gaelic,glion inManx. The designation "glen" also occurs often in place names. In Manx,glan is also to be found meaning glen. It is cognate withWelshglyn.[citation needed] Whittow defines it as a "Scottish term for a deep valley in the Highlands" that is "narrower than astrath".[1]
Examples inNorthern England, such asGlenridding,Westmorland, or Glendue, nearHaltwhistle,Northumberland, are thought to derive from the aforementionedCumbric cognate, or anotherBrythonic equivalent. This likely underlies some examples inSouthern Scotland.[2][page needed]
As the name of ariver, it is thought to derive from the Irish wordglan meaning clean, or the Welsh wordgleindid meaning purity. An example is theGlens of Antrim inNorthern Ireland where nine glens radiate out from the Antrim plateau to the sea along the coast betweenBallycastle andLarne.[citation needed]
The designation "glen" also occurs often in place names such asGreat Glen andGlenrothes in Scotland;Glendalough,Glenswilly,Glen of Aherlow,Glen of Imaal and theGlens of Antrim in Ireland;[3]Glenn Norman in Canada;Glendale,Glen Ellen andKlamath Glen inCalifornia,Glenview andHomer Glen inIllinois, andGlenrock inWyoming;Glenview,Glen Waverley,Glen Eira,Glengowrie,Glen Huntly andGlen Forrest in Australia; andGlenorchy,Glendowie,Glen Eden,Glenledi,Glenomaru,Glen Massey,Glen Murray,Glenleith,Glendhu Bay,Glenbrook, andGlen Innes in New Zealand.[citation needed]
In theFinger Lakes region ofNew York State, the southern ends ofSeneca Lake andCayuga Lake in particular are etched with glens, although in this region the term "glen" refers most frequently to a narrowgorge, as opposed to a widervalley or strath. The steep hills surrounding these lakes are filled with loose shale from glacial moraines. This material has eroded over the past 10,000 years to produce rocky glens (e.g.,Watkins Glen,Fillmore Glen State Park andTreman State Parks) and waterfalls (e.g.,Taughannock Falls) as rainwater has flowed down toward the lakes below.[citation needed]
Many place-names in Scotland with "glen" derive from the Gaelicgleann ("deep valley"), with some being from the cognates in theBrittonic languagesCumbric andPictish or from the Gaelic loanwordglen inScots.
Some place-names in England contain the element "Glen". Many of these are derived from Brittonic cognates of Gaelicgleann (Welshglyn).
Note that some place-names in England with "Glen", such asGlen Parva in Leicestershire, are actually more likely to derive from river-names named with Brittonicglan ("shining").[5]
Some place-names in Wales contain the elementglyn ("valley").
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