Welsh toponyms as reflection of linguistic and ethnocultural legacy of the Celts within the territory of Wales

Statement of the problem. The Celtic languages are formed as one of the primary groups within the IndoEuropean language family. The 6th - 7th centuries saw the exodus of the Celts, as well as the Celtic language by the Germanic tribes and their languages from the territory of Britain pushed. Along with that we had our special interest riveted on linguistic artifacts which support the assumption about some Celtic tribes to staying within certain territories, particularly, within the territory of Wales, where during historical conquests, a considerable number of the Celtic tribes were pushed back to avoid the fate of being enslaved by the Anglo-Saxons. The object of linguistic analysis was the contemporary toponyms of Wales, including the linguistic and ethniccultural legacy of the Celts within the diachrony. The purpose of the article is to reveal and show the Celtic substrate in contemporary Welsh oikonymy within the territory of Wales as a proof of the preservation of the ancient lingo-social legacy of the Celts. The research methodology includes method of searching for particular toponymical units, which include the Celtic substrate, inductive method in finding a great number of oikonyms for creation of categorical classification according to the meaning of the name, comparative historical method, and the method of etymological analysis. Research results. The preservation of ancient ethnic-cultural legacy of the Celts and its distinctive interpretation are needed for understanding the movement of the English language expansion on a certain territory during the ancient period and immersion into the lingo-cultural, lingo-cognitive image of the world reflected in oikonyms. As a result of exploring the Celtic toponymic layer, it was found out that the north-western part of Wales was less influenced by the Anglo-Saxon invaders in diachrony and the local population of Celtic origin were able to preserve their unique ethnic-cultural identity. The conclusion. All names of places in Wales, especially the ones that are located in the northwestern part remain unchanged from ancient times. Despite the attempts to push out the Celtic language and pressure on the part of the Anglo-Saxon invaders the expansion of the English language was halted by the courageous actions of the ancestors of the contemporary Welsh people. Today, this is reflected in the prevailing Celtic substrate among genuine Wales’ toponyms.