ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 2966 http://www.s-gabriel.org/2966 ************************************ 20 Nov 2004 From: Josh Mittleman Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked our help choosing a name for an Irishwoman living between 1050 and 1150; you asked about and explained that you want to indicate your clan. The name you've asked about isn't quite right, but you're very close. is a fine Irish name, in use throughout your period [1, 1a]. (The slash in the name represents an acute accent mark over the preceding letter.) The name was pronounced roughly \AHN-ya\. is a fine choice for your father's name; it was used throughout your period [1, 2]. Note the spelling: The in your spelling didn't come into use in Irish writing until a century or so after your period. The given name or was reasonably common in your period [1, 2]. More to the point, the clan surname or was also used. We have an example from a late-period annal of a woman who lived in 1053 and who was a member of this clan: [3]. This name literally means "Mor daughter of Conghalach O/ Conchobhair", and is a model for how your name should be constructed (though it uses some spellings that aren't appropriate until after your period). Putting everything together, a spelling of your name typical for your period is . It was pronounced roughly \AHN-yuh EEN-yun VOOR-khuh-dhuh (w)ee KHOHN-khoh-wuhr\. The syllable \VOOR\ rhymes with (and the \M\ sound in your father's name really does soften in this grammatical context to something very close to \V\). The symbol \(w)\ is a lightly-voiced version of the \w\ in . \kh\ stands for the raspy sound in the Scottish word and German ; and \dh\ is the sound of the in . \oh\ represents the vowel in the word [4]. 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 Aryanhwy merch Catmael, Talan Gwynek, Mari neyn Brian, Kolozsvari Arpadne Julia, and Effrick neyn Kenneoch. For the Academy, Arval for the Academy 20 Nov 2004 - - - - References [1] 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/ http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/mari/AnnalsIndex/Feminine/Aine.shtml http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/mari/AnnalsIndex/Masculine/Murchad.shtml http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/mari/AnnalsIndex/Masculine/Conchobar.shtml [1a] O/ Corra/in, Donnchadh and Fidelma Maguire, _Irish Names_ (Dublin: The Lilliput Press, 1990), s.n. A/ine. "As a male name ...became obsolete at a very early period. However, it retained its popularity as a female name...There was also an early Leinster St. A/ine but little is known or her." In this source "very early period" refers to the 6th or 7th century or earlier; so this statement together with the citation of an example of the name in 1169 in reference [1] implies that was in use throughout the early Middle Ages. [2] Jones, Heather Rose (aka Tangwystyl verch Morgant Glasvryn), "100 Most Popular Men's Names in Early Medieval Ireland" (WWW: Academy of Saint Gabriel, 1998). http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/tangwystyl/irish100 [3] The name actually appears in the Annal as , because it is in the genitive case. Other examples of the clan name in your period include: 1088: Dubh Chablaigh, inghen Aodha Ui Conchobhair 1098: Ruaidhri Ui Conchobhair 1156: Toirrdhealbhach Ua Conchobhair 1156: Ruaidri, mac Toirrdealbaig Ui Concobair Index of Names in Irish Annals http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/mari/AnnalsIndex/Feminine/Dubchoblaig.shtml http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/mari/AnnalsIndex/Feminine/Mor.shtml [4] More precisely, your name is pronounced \AHN^-@ EEN-y@n BH~OOR-kh@-dh@ (w)ee KHOHN-khoh-bh@r^\. \@\ stands for the sound of the in or . \N^\ represents a palatalized \n\, i.e. the sound of the in French "mountain" or Italian . \BH\ is a sound similar to \V\, but made by vibrating the two lips together rather than one lip against the teeth. \BH~\ is the same sound nasalized, i.e. with some of the noise emerging through the nose. \r^\ is a palatalized \r\, a sound not used in English.