ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1284 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1284 ************************************ 10 Oct 1998 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for help choosing am early 16th centry Scottish Gaelic feminine name, with or as your given name and as your father's name. Here is what we have found. Both and are fine choices for your period. The slash represents an accent on the preceding letter. The Gaelic name , pronounced \kah-ris-CHEE-na\, was recorded in Scots documents in 1502 as and in 1541 as , and in a Latin document in 1541 as [1, 2]. The Gaelic , pronounced \kaht-REE-nah\, was recorded in a Gaelic document in 1467 as . is a Scottish spelling of the Gaelic , an adapation of [3]. We aren't sure how early the spelling was used, so we recommend you use the spelling for your father's name. The name is pronounced \SHAY-m@s\, where the \@\ represents a schwa, the first vowel sound in . To combine these two names, you connect them with the Gaelic word for "daughter", , which is used in the same way as the word for "son", . So, if your father was called , you would be known as "Cairistiona daughter of Se/amus". The changes in the spelling of are required by Gaelic grammar. The in the last syllable puts the name into the possessive form (analogous to the <'s> used in English), so that it means "of Se/amus". The added after the initial represents a softening of the initial sound called "lenition" which is required in Gaelic in some circumstances. The resulting word is pronounced \HAY-mish\, so that your name altogether is pronounced \kah-ris-CHEE-na NEE-yen HAY-mish\. Gaelic was rarely used as a written language in Scotland in period, so if your name had been written down, it would probably have been in Scots. It might have been written . I 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 and Effrick neyn Kenneoch. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 10 Oct 1998 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Black, George F., _The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning and History_, (New York: The New York Public Library, 1986), s.n. Gilleduff. [2] Ewen, C. L'Estrange, _A History of Surnames of the British Isles_ (London: Kegan Paul, Trench, 1931; Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1968), p.209. [3] O/ Corra/in, Donnchadh and Fidelma Maguire, _Irish Names_ (Dublin: The Lilliput Press, 1990).