ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1457 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1457 ************************************ ************************************************* * * * NOTE: Later research turned up additional * * information relevant to this report. * * See the end of the letter for details. * * * ************************************************* From: "S Friedemann" 14 Feb 1999 Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You wanted to know how the Irish feminine would have been pronounced in the 8th century. Here is the information we have found. I'm afraid we won't be able to give you a very straightforward answer. Simply put, your name would not have occurred in the time period you're interested in. We have therefore included, along with pronunciations, the spellings and grammatical features that are appropriate for your period. Gaelic spelling underwent a fairly significant change around 1200. The later spelling indicated features of pronunciation that had previously been implicit. is a later-period spelling of a name that was spelled in the 8th century [1]. was pronounced roughly \SAHV-thahn\ [*]. is a later-period spelling of a man's first name that was earlier spelled and that literally meant "servant of [Saint] Mary". It was pronounced something like \GUL-lah VOO-rih\. However, this style of name, plus a saint's name, didn't come into common use until the 10th century. In your period, an analogous construction was much more common: "devotee of Saint Mary" [2]. This name is pronounced roughly \MILE VOO-rih\. (with an accent on the 'i') is a modern Irish word that didn't exist in our period. Even in modern Irish, it doesn't mean "daughter"; it is used as the feminine equivalent of in family names like . In fact, that is it's origin: it derives from the late-period pronunciation of the Gaelic phrase , which was the phrase used in Irish women's names to indicate clan or family membership. If a 13th century man called had a son and a daughter , the two children could have been called and . The girl's name literally means "Samhthann, daughter of the descendent of Connall", but in practice was understood to mean "Samhthann of the O/ Connall clan." Irish clan names like didn't come into use until the 10th century [2], so this sort of name is not appropriate for your period. In your period, a woman would have been identified as her father's daughter. An 8th century Samthann, daughter of Ma/el Muire, would have been called , pronounced \SAHV-thahn EEN-yen VILE VOO-rih\. The changes in spelling and pronounciation of are required by Gaelic grammar. is a less likely name for your father to have borne in the 8th century; it would be much more likely in the 10th century. However, in the 8th century, Gilla Muire's daughter Samthann would have been called \SAHV-thahn EEN-yen YILL-eye VOO-rih\. We hope that this letter has been useful to you, and that you will not hesitate to write again if any part was unclear or if you have further questions. Research and commentary on this letter was provided by Talan Gwynek, Arval Benicoeur, Teceangl Bach, and Blaise de Cormeilles. For the Academy, --Aryanhwy Prytydes merch Catmael February 14, 1999 --------------------------------------- References: [1] O/ Corra/in, Donnchadh and Fidelma Maguire, _Irish Names_ (Dublin: The Lilliput Press, 1990) [2] Royal Irish Academy, _Dictionary of the Irish Language: based mainly on Old and Middle Irish materials_ (Dublin : Royal Irish Academy, 1983). Notes: [*] The first vowel in is nasal, like the first sound in the French word . -- Correction by Aryanhwy 09 October 2007: Removed pronounciation for , as it is incorrect.