ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2462 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2462 ************************************ 26 Mar 2002 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked us to suggest some Oghamic Irish masculine names appropriate for the mid-6th century; and you particularly wanted a name or byname that had a meaning something like "bearer of light" or "enlightened one". Here is what we have found. As we explained in earlier correspondence, the language of 6th century Ireland was quite different from the Old Irish of the later Middle Ages -- as different as classical Latin is from modern French. Our knowledge of names from that period derives from inscriptions recorded in the Ogham alphabet; but it is complicated by the fact that these inscriptions were written using a form of the language that was archaic even then. Constructing a name from this period requires a considerable amount of specialized knowledge, since it involves interpolating between the forms that appear in Oghamic inscriptions and the Old Irish forms that appear in later records. Choosing a name by meaning is also tricky, since in practice the etymological source of a name was rarely relevant to its use as a name. We have seen some evidence in early Irish literature that people were interested in the etymologies of names; but our study of the actual use of names suggests that, as in most cultures, other factors were more important in the selection of names for children: family relationships, religious associations, fashion, etc. That said, we can suggest one name that has an etymology that may appeal to you: , which is identical to the word for "fire". We don't actually have an example of this name, but it appears as an element in several names and there is a common Old Irish name that derives from it; so it is reasonable to believe that it existed. (The slash in represents an acute accent mark on the preceding letter.) Compounds of <-aidu> include [1, 2]: Dovaidu derives from a word that meant "black" Dunaidu "brown" Ercaidu "speckled" or "dark red" Bivaidu derives from a word that meant "living" If one of these names appeals to you, then the best way to complete your name is to choose a given name for your father and identify yourself as his son. You can find a list of appropriate masculine given names in the article: Some Masculine Ogham Names http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/tangwystyl/ogham/ We can suggest two common patterns for building a complete name: a patronymic or a clan affiliation. A patronymic is a surname that identifies you as your father's son, and this is by far the most common style of byname found in surviving Ogham inscriptions. A patronymic consists of the word "son" (the precursor of ), and the genitive (possessive) form of your father's name. For example, you might call yourself "Aidu son of Corbagnas". The data also includes a fair number of examples of clan-affiliation bynames, i.e. ones that identify a man as a member of his clan. This consist of the phrase followed by the genitive form of the given name of the clan's ancestor. Thus, "Aidu of the clan of Corbagnas" is . The pronunciation of Ogham names is not at all obvious. We will be happy to give you an appropriate pronunciation for any of the names we've listed above and for the rest of your name, once you choose it. 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, Adelaide de Beaumont, Aryanhwy merch Catmael, and Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 20 Mar 2002 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Heather Rose Jones (Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn), "Some Masculine Ogham Names" (WWW: Academy of S. Gabriel, 2001). Another name that uses a different form of the same element is , the Oghamic precursor of . The first element is related to the name of an Irish god of the sun or fire. http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/tangwystyl/ogham/ [2] O/ Corra/in, Donnchadh and Fidelma Maguire, _Irish Names_ (Dublin: The Lilliput Press, 1990), s.nn. A/ed, Be/oa/ed, Ercc, Luga/ed. [3] Royal Irish Academy, _Dictionary of the Irish Language: based mainly on Old and Middle Irish materials_ (Dublin : Royal Irish Academy, 1983), s.v. erc.