ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2807 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2807 ************************************ ************************************************* * * * NOTE: Later research turned up additional * * information relevant to this report. * * See the end of the letter for details. * * * ************************************************* 4 Jan 2004 From: Aryanhwy merch Catmael Greetings from the Academy of S. Gabriel! You wanted to know if 'Echrad, foster-daughter of Aonghus', is an appropriate name for a 10th century Irish woman, or earlier if possible. Here is the information we have found. We've found one example of the feminine name sometime in the 10th century. [1] We aren't sure if the name was used earlier; without direct evidence that it was, we cannot recommend it for an earlier period. If you'd like to consider a different name that was used earlier, we can recommend the following article: "Index of Names in Irish Annals: Feminine Given Names 701 - 1050" http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/mari/AnnalsIndex/Feminine/701- 1050.shtml We found a number of examples of 'foster-child' used in and before your period: [2,3,4,5,6] Baithine dalta Choluim Chille, 536 Blathmac dalta Colgan, 809 Blathmacc dalta Colggen, 814 Comhgan Foda dalta Maoile Ruain, 868 Mochta dalta Fethghna, 889 Mochta dalta Fethgnai, 893 Cormacc dalta Moenaigh, 935 Feidhlimidh dalta Maol M' Adho/cc, 951 Muireadhach dalta Maonaigh, 966 Dunchadh dalta Diarmada, 971 Ailell dalta Du/nchadha, 981 Ce/tfada dalta Riatai, 989 These are all masculine examples. We are not sure if this construction is appropriate for a feminine name. [But see below.] For your period, the appropriate spelling of the masculine name is . We found three examples of this name before and during your period, in 746, 879, and 967. [7] Since we cannot recommend that you use the construction 'foster-child of O/engus' (the change from to is analogous to the change from to ), we thought you might be interested in incorporating into your name in a documentable fashion. The best recreation would be to construct a patronym, e.g., a byname indicating your father's name. This would be 'daughter of O/engusa>. is a fine name for a 10th century Irish woman. We don't know if it is appropriate for an earlier time. is less plausible, and we do not recommend it as the best recreation. We hope that this letter has been useful to you and that you won't hesitate to write us again if any part was unclear or if you have further questions. Research and commentary on this letter was provided by Arval Benicoeur, Juliana de Luna, Mari neyn Brian, Talan Gwynek, and Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn. For the Academy, -Aryanhwy merch Catmael, 04Jan04 -- References: [1] Mari Elspeth nic Bryan, "Dated Names Found in O/ Corra/in & Maguire's Irish Names" (WWW: Academy of Saint Gabriel, 1999). http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/mari/ocm/ [2] Donnchadh O/ Corra/in & Mavis Cournane, "The Annals of Ulster" (WWW: CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts: a project of University College, Cork, Ireland, 1997) http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100001/. [3] O/ Corra/in, Donnchadh, ed., "Annals of Tigernach" (WWW: CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts: a project of University College, Cork, Ireland, 1996). http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100002/ [4] Donnchadh O/ Corra/in, ed., "Annals of Inisfallen" (WWW: CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts: a project of University College, Cork, Ireland, 2000). http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100004/ [5] Donnchadh O/ Corra/in & Mavis Cournane, "Annals of the Four Masters, vol. 1", six volumes (WWW: CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts: a project of University College, Cork, Ireland, 1997-98), entries to M902.7. http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100005A/. [6] Donnchadh O/ Corra/in & Mavis Cournane, "Annals of the Four Masters, vol. 2", six volumes (WWW: CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts: a project of University College, Cork, Ireland, 1997-98), entries M903-M1171. http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/G100005B/. [7] Mari Elspeth nic Bryan, "Index of Names in Irish Annals" (WWW: Academy of S. Gabriel, 2001-2002). http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/mari/AnnalsIndex/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Addendum, Arval, Jun 2005. On the March 2005 LoAR, Pelican changed the submitted name to because there was no evidence for outside of legend and "MacBain, 'An Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language', gives the meaning [of ] specifically as 'foster-son'...there is no evidence that would not also [like and ] be gender-specific." In an earlier report, http://www.s-gabriel.org/1025, we said that "... was apparently used for both genders". In the present report, we said we weren't sure whether the word was used for foster-daughters. MacBain's gloss appears to be incomplete even for modern Scottish Gaelic (which is not the same as Old Irish): Dwelly glosses the word 'foster-child; god-child; step-child; disciple'. Note that Dwelly took input from a number of existing dictionaries of Sc.Gael. _including_ MacBain. Dwelly, Edward, _Faclair gaidhlig: A Gaelic Dictionary_ (Herne Bay [Eng.] E. Macdonald & co., 1902-[11]). In Old Irish, the word meant 'a foster-son, fosterling, nurseling, ward; a pet child, pet, fondling, lover; a pupil, disciple'. There is a compound 'bosom-fosterling, a fondling' (from 'bosom') for which the following quotation is offered: Aobh Aoife & Ailbhe .i. tri/ hinghiona Oiliolla Arann & mo thri/ bronndaltadha fe/in in which the term is applied to three daughters of Oilill Arann. The word therefore appears to be appropriate for a woman. Royal Irish Academy, _Dictionary of the Irish Language: based mainly on Old and Middle Irish materials_ (Dublin : Royal Irish Academy, 1983), s.v. .