ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 936 http://www.s-gabriel.org/936 *********************************** ************************************************* * * * NOTE: Some of the Academy's early reports * * contain errors that we haven't yet * * corrected. Please use it with caution. * * * ************************************************* 4 May 1998 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for helping choosing a 12th or 13th century Irish feminine name, either or . Here is what we have found. , in this spelling, is not a period Irish name. It is a modern latinized or anglicized form of one of three period names, which I've listed below with their pronunciations [1, 2]: Ciar \KYAR\ Ciarnat, Ciarnait \KYAR-nitch\ Cera, Ceara \KEER-a\ For the two names where I've given two different spellings, the first spelling was used at the beginning of your period and the second at the end. Any of these names would be a fine choice for your period. is a modern Irish form of ; it's a phonetic re-spelling of the Gaelic name . (The slashes represent accents on the preceding letters.) This name was quite uncommon in period and may not have been used at all as early as your period. We recommend that you use your other choice, , which was fairly common in medieval Ireland. At the beginning of your period, it would have been written ; by the end of your period, the standard spelling would have been . Either version is pronounced \EE-ahn\ [1]. You are correct that is the right word to use to form a patronymic. This is the later-period spelling; before 1200 it would more likely have been . Either spelling is pronounced \IN-yen\. In a patronymic, your father's name must be put into the possessive form, analogous to in English. In Gaelic, the possessive (or "genitive") form of is . So the proper way to write "Ciar, Aodha/n's daughter" is . The earlier-period spelling would have been [1]. I 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 and Tangwystyl vz. Morgant. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 17 April 1998 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] O/ Corra/in, Donnchadh and Fidelma Maguire, _Irish Names_ (Dublin: The Lilliput Press, 1990). [2] Woulfe, Patrick, _Irish Names for Children_ (Dublin: Gill and Macmillan, 1974). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -