M'Clure — Irish Personal Karnes. 311 



Ed. 1853.) It is probably cognate with aid, and signifies hiph, chief. 

 A great many personal names of this class are compounded of words 

 connected with war and battle, e.g., Cathal (now Cahill), and Cathir 

 (a warrior), and probably O'Duinncathaigh (O'Duncahy) O'Donn- 

 chaclha ( = Donnachie, and O'Donoghue, or Highland M'Connachie), 

 Duncadh (Highland Duncan), all derived from C&t = battle. We 

 might compare with these the Welsh personal names Catgucaun 

 (Cadogan), and Direcat (the l)ire here, according to Zeuss, is the Irish 

 Dun), and the Armorican Catbud, Cation, Catwallon. The termina- 

 tions -gal and -gus — as in Ferghal * (Farrel), Dunghal, Tuathghal,f 

 Fergus. Thutgus, Snedgus, Congus, Angus (in M'Aongus, now 

 M'Ginnis, M'Innis, Innis, and Guinness, also in n-Aongusa, now 

 O'Hennessy) Muirgus, — are said to mean "valour" and "virtue" 

 respectively. Names ending in -gus and -gal are numerous in the 

 lists of Pictish names in Chronicles of the Picts and Scots, Edin. 1867. 



Dun enters into many names of this class, and is to be translated, 

 according to Zeuss (Vol. i., p. 30, Ed. of 1853), as "strong." The 

 Dunehadh and Dunghal above mentioned are instances of its use. 



The Domh in Domhnal, Ferdomhnach, Domangart (afterwards 

 written Dofngart, and now finally Donard in Sleive Donard), may be 

 compared with the same syllable in the old Gallic names Dumnacus, 

 Dumnorix, and in the Welsh, Domnguaret, and traced to the root of 

 X)omAin, the world, as giving the idea of extension or greatness. J 



As final examples of this class, I may allude to such names as are 

 derived from the passions or prevailing mental habits of the individual ; ' 

 such as Bronach, i. e., sad, a name encountered in the Lives of the 

 Saints, and explained by the bearer of it thus : — " Bronach est nomen 

 meiim, quod latine dicitur tristis." O'Diomasaigh (now O'Dempsey), 

 from *Oiomuf, proud, is another instance. 



V. The next division embraces those personal appellations which 

 are derived from occtjpatioxs and offices. The following are a few of 

 the best marked instances : — O'Marcachan (now generally Anglicised 

 Markham), from 1T1&pc&c, a rider, O'h'Eochadha (now Hooey, Hoy, 

 and Houghy), MacEochaidh or MacEachach (now Keogh, M'Caughy, 

 and M'Kechie), Eachan (a Highland prcenomen, generally Anglicised 

 Hector), all from e&c, a horse, or its plural, eoco, and signifying 

 generally horseman. O'Eehtighern (i.e., horse master, now Ahern), 

 and the Highland MacEaeharan are from the same root. O'Cairbre 

 (now Carberry), according to Zeuss, from c&ipb, a chariot, and equi- 

 valent to the modern French name " Charpentier," and the German 

 "Wanner." O'Tighearnagh (now Tierncy), HaeTighearnain (now 

 MaeTCernan), from Ui^e^jMi^, a lord, which Z uss would further 

 derive from Cit;, a hou. e. This Avord occurs also in Armorican per- 



* The first part of this word is evidently FeAp (a man), which enters into many 

 names, as Ferdoragh (dark man), Ferdomnach (far ruling man, &c.) Cf. the 

 Highland Farquhar (now also Farrar and Ferrar, anciently Ferchar), and the 

 Welsh compounds with Gwr = a man. J Cf. Zeuss, Vol. i., p. 17. 



t We have in Armorican, Tutgual and Dungual. Chart. Nannet op. Bom. 

 Mor. 1. Zeu»s, Vol. i., p. 152, and among Pictish names Dunnagual and Tutagual. 



