ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1764 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1764 ************************************ ************************************************* * * * NOTE: Later research turned up additional * * information relevant to this report. * * See the end of the letter for details. * * * ************************************************* From: "S Friedemann" 6 Jun 1999 Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for help creating a Scottish Gaelic feminine name that would have been used between 500 and 800. You wanted it to be similar to your current SCA name, , and said you were considering the given name . Here is what we have found. If you haven't read it already, you might be interested in reading the article that we have on the name . It is available on the web at: "Concerning the Name Fiona" http://www.panix.com/~mittle/names/problemnames/fiona.html The earliest surviving written form of Irish dates from around the 4th century and is written on stone in the alphabet called "Ogham." When this writing tradition developed, the Irish language was very different from the medieval form -- about as different as Latin is from French. This stage of the language is variously called "Primitive Irish," "Ogham Irish," or "Oghamic Irish." This writing system continued in active use into the 7th century, and while it was in active use, its users tended to write a conservative form of the language corresponding to what was spoken when the system was developed. The spoken language, however, was undergoing considerable change. When a new writing system using Roman letters was developed in the 6th century, its users broke with tradition and wrote a language much closer to what was actually being spoken. This stage of the language, as recorded from the late 7th century to the mid-10th century the language, is called Old Irish. is a later-period spelling of a name that was spelled in the last half-century or so of your period. It is a fine choice for your given name, and is pronounced approximately \FIN-ahtch\, where the \tch\ is similar to the initial consonent sound in . [1] Another name that you might be interested in is . There is record of an abbess in Ireland named who died in 805 [1]. This name would also be appropriate for the later part of your period. (The slash represents an accent over the previous letter.) It is pronounced \FEEN-y@\, where the \@\ represents the sound of in . With a few adjustments, your surname can also be authentic for this period. is a contraction of "daughter of (the) son (of). It does not appear in the written language until after 1600, and was only used in the spoken language for a few hundred years before. The correct word meaning "daughter" in your period is , pronounced \IN-yen\. is also a later form. It's the possessive form of the man's name , much as is the possessive form of . Before 1200 or so this name was spelled , and its possessive form was spelled . [1] Both "Finnat daughter of A/ed" and "Fi/ne daughter of A/ed" are excellent 8th-9th century Gaelic feminine names, pronounced \FIN-atch IN-yen EY-dh@\ and \FEEN-y@ IN-yen EY-dh@\ respectively, with the \EY\ pronounced like the word , and the \dh\ pronounced like the "th" sound in . 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 Arval Benicoeur, Talan Gwynek, Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn, and Juliana de Luna. For the Academy, --Aryanhwy Prytydes merch Catmael June 6, 1999 --------------------------------------- References: [1] O/ Corra/in, Donnchadh and Fidelma Maguire, _Irish Names_ (Dublin: The Lilliput Press, 1990), s.nn. Fi/ne, Finnat, A/ed. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Correction, 11 Feb 2005, Arval: We originally offered as an alternate spelling of . The name appears in Early Irish Feminine Names from the Index to O'Brien's Corpus Genealogiarum Hiberniae, by Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn; but that appears to have been an error, perhaps misreading a genitive as a nominative form. Added a footnote for that paragraph and added headwords to note [1].