New Post
Search
Help[Facts] Re: Understanding Old Irish Names
in reply to a message by Sara Ruth
Surnames as we understand them wouldn't have been used in this period. yes patronymics would have been to identify people, and also defining characteristics. Lawhir apparently means 'long hand' and for Eochaid Feidlech, Feidlech is an epithet meaning 'the enduring'.
I can't find anything for Mes Corp or Mes Gegra but I would guess Corp and Gegra are both identifiable features used to distinguish both father and son called Mes.
Offhand, some common Gaelic ones you might spot are
Og - younger, jnr
Beag - small
Mor - Big (e.g. one Scottish king was Malcolm Canmore - Can = head, mor = big so Malcolm Bighead!)
Fionn - Fair
Dubh - Black
Donn - Brown
Good luck with your research!
I can't find anything for Mes Corp or Mes Gegra but I would guess Corp and Gegra are both identifiable features used to distinguish both father and son called Mes.
Offhand, some common Gaelic ones you might spot are
Og - younger, jnr
Beag - small
Mor - Big (e.g. one Scottish king was Malcolm Canmore - Can = head, mor = big so Malcolm Bighead!)
Fionn - Fair
Dubh - Black
Donn - Brown
Good luck with your research!
This message was edited 11/30/2007, 12:19 PM
1