106 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [YOL. IT. 



Prof. Rhys, of Oxford, contends that the Isle of Man has proved the 

 meeting-place for Ivernians, Goidels, Scandinavians, and Englishmen, 

 Mr. Moore divides the history of Man into three parts : — 



1. When it was inhabited by a Celtic people exclusively. 



2. The period of the Viking invasions and the establishment of Scan- 



dinavi^tn rule. 



3. The period" during which Man came under English dominion. 



It is to be regretted that he employs the term Celtic to designate the 

 Goidelic branch merely, and not the Cymric as well. The term Celtic 

 is usually and wisely made to perform the comprehensive duty of 

 embracing all the branches of the Cymric and Gaelic families of the 

 Celtic language. Mr. Moore has been at great pains to study the mean- 

 ing and origin of the Scandinavian names of places that occur in Man. 

 He has had the valuable assistance of the late Dr. Gudbrand Vigfusson,. 

 of Oxford, who was a Norse and Runic scholar of great ability. It is 

 found that in nearly every case Scandinavian names are Celticized, z'.e.^ 

 they have received the prefix Mac — a prefix which was almost universal 

 in the sixteenth century. There is an old distich wherein the quantity 

 of in duobus is changed : — 



Per Mac atque O, Tu veros cognoscis Hibemos ; 

 His duobus demptis, nullus Hibemus adest. 

 i.e. 



" By Mac and O, you always know 

 True Irishmen, they say. 

 But if they lack both O and Mac 

 No Irishmen are they." 



It does not appear that O ever took root in the Isle of Man — though 

 Mac was widely prevalent. As any Scottish Gael can determine for 

 himself, Mac indicates son, while O ogJia indicates grandson or descen- 

 dant. MacNeill and MacDonell are forms which pertain to Scottish 

 Gaelic, while O'Neill and O'Donell are characteristic of Irish. Mac is 

 made to do duty in presenting in an English dress the names of both 

 sexes in Gaelic, e.g., John MacNeill, Mary MacNeill. Nic, which is a 

 contraction for nigJiean, daughter, is used in Gaelic to designate females,. 

 e.g.., Mairi Nic Eallair. 



It is somewhat anomalous that Mac should be made to represent both 

 sexes in English. Those Gaels who aim at transforming their names 

 entirely into English, convert Mac into son, and append son to their 

 names, e.g., Anderson, Johnson, Stevenson. Little do those who are in 

 the habit of eliminating a from Mac, and of writing Mc, reflect that 



