ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1508 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1508 ************************************ 21 Jan 1999 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for help documenting as a 16th century Scottish woman's name. This letter is a brief answer to your question. >From the late 14th century onward, there were two main languages spoken in Scotland: Gaelic, spoken in the Highlands, and Scots, spoken in the Lowlands, including the royal court and towns. Gaelic is the same language spoken in Ireland at this time; Scots is closely related to contemporary English. Names were formed quite differently in the two languages, and the two styles of naming did not mix. Therefore, the culture you choose for your persona will determine how your name should be constructed. is a Gaelic name, so we're assuming that's the culture that interests you. is a Scottish Gaelic form of . We have evidence that the name used in Scottish Gaelic in the 15th and 16th centuries, when it is recorded in a Latin document as and in an English document as [1, 2]. We don't have a period example of the Gaelic spelling of the name, though; is the modern Gaelic spelling [3]. The name is pronounced \MAR-se-lee\. We hope this brief letter has been useful. Please write us again if you have any questions. I was assisted in researching and writing this letter by Talan Gwynek and Effrick neyn Kenneoch. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 21 Jan 1999 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Munro, Jean and R. W. Munro, eds., _Acts of the Lords of the Isles 1336-1493_; Scottish History Society, Fourth Series, Volume 22 (Edinburgh: Blackwood, Pillans & Wilson, 1986), abstract B41. [2] Black, George F., _The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning and History_, (New York: The New York Public Library, 1986), s.n. Fuktor. [3] Morgan, Peadar, _Ainmean Chloinne: Scottich Gaelic Names for Children_ (Isle of Skye, Scotland : Taigh na Teud Music Publishers, 1989).