ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1683 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1683 ************************************ ************************************************* * * * NOTE: Later research turned up additional * * information relevant to this report. * * See the end of the letter for details. * * * ************************************************* 9 Jun 1999 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked whether or is an appropriate name for an Irishwoman of the 14th to 16th century, whether or is an appropriate name for her father, and or an appropriate clan name. Here is what we have found. We did not find in any of our references. If you can tell us where you found it, we may be able to tell you more. The most similar name we found is , with an accent on the 'u'. This is a modern Gaelic equivalent of , currently pronounced \SHOON\; but it is not a period name as far as we could determine [1]. is a Latin name. It came into use in England and France in the Renaissance, when classical culture was fashionable [2]. We have found no evidence that it was adopted into Gaelic in our period. If you'd like to consider a different first name, you could look at the articles on late-period Irish names on our medieval names website: Fourteenth to Sixteenth Century Irish Names and Naming Practices http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/tangywstyl/lateirish/ If you'd like a name beginning with a particular letter or sound, we'll be happy to send you a short list. One name that might interest you, since it sounds a bit like , is , a Gaelic form of [3]. or is a fine choice for your father's name. Both were used in late medieval Gaelic. was particularly common among the O Briens and the O Connors of Kerry and Offaly. was especially favored by the O Higgins, the O Clerys, and the O Gallaghers [3]. A woman named whose father's name was would have been known as . means "daughter", and means "Conchobhar's". The added to the last syllable puts the name into its possessive (genitive) form. The change from to represents a softening in pronunciation called "lenition" that is required by Gaelic grammar in a woman's name. The result would probably have been pronounced \AHL-y@-NO-r@ IN-yen KHOHN-khoh-w@r\. \@\ represents a schwa, the sound of the in or . \KH\ is the harsh sound in the Scottish word or the German . Similarly, Ailiono/ra, daughter of Tuathal, would have been called , pronounced \AHL-y@-NO-r@ IN-yen TOO-@-h@l\. The letter 'T' doesn't lenite after . is a modern form of "son of Murchadh" [4]. surnames were used literally in period Gaelic: would have been used only for a man whose father was named . The family may have been called "the MacMurroughs" in late period, but that label would not have been included in peoples' names. If you want a similar-sounding clan name to use in your own name, you might consider . There were three families of this name in County Tyrone, Sligo, and Wexford [5]. Ailiono/ra the daughter of Conchobhar O/ Murchadha could have been called . That means literally means "Ailiono/ra daughter of O/ Murchadha"; it was the standard way to identify a woman as a member of her clan in period Gaelic. The phrase was pronounced \IN-yen ee VUR-kh@-dh@\ at the beginning of your period, \nee VUR-@-khow\ by the end. \dh\ represents the sound of in . is a modern English spelling of the Gaelic surname . Once branch of the MacMurrough sept was known by this name [4]. We aren't sure if was used as a family name in period Gaelic. If it were, then our example Ailiono/ra might have been called or . Note that the family name lenites. These names would have been pronounced \AHL-y@-NO-r@ KHAY-vahn-@kh\ and \AHL-y@-NO-r@ IN-yen TOO-@-h@l KHAY-vah-nee\, respectively. We hope this letter has been useful. Please write us again if any part of it has been unclear or if you have other questions. I was assisted in researching and writing this letter by Talan Gwynek, Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, Aryanhwy merch Catmael, and Walraven van Nijmegen. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 9 June 1999 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Coghlan, Ronan, Ida Grehan, and P.W. Joyce (New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1989)., s.n. Siobha/n. [2] Withycombe, E.G., _The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names_, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988), s.n. Aurora. [3] O/ Corra/in, Donnchadh and Fidelma Maguire, _Irish Names_ (Dublin: The Lilliput Press, 1990), s.nn. Ailiono/ra, Tuathal, Conchobar. [4] MacLysaght, Edward, _More Irish Families_ (Blackrock, Co. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982), s.nn. MacMurrough, Kavanagh. [5] Woulfe, Patrick, _Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish Names and Surnames_ (Kansas City: Irish Genealogical Foundation), s.n. O/ Murchadha. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Correction, 18 Oct 2001, Arval: After a word ending in 'n', like , the letters 'D' and 'T' do not lenite.