312 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



sonal names, e.g., Tiernan, Maeltiern, and also in Welsh in the form 

 -deyrn. O'Flaithi'i (now Flattery), O'Flaherty, and O'Liverty, above 

 noticed, and names like Grormlaith (where flaith is the second 

 half of the word), all from "pboou, generally translated Prince, but 

 meaning originally landed property, and therefore " lordship," and used 

 in our secondary sense of the latter word. The corresponding Welsh 

 word is Giclacl, wbicb means "country," whence Gwhdig, supreme. 



O'Taidhg and MacTaidhg (now Anglicised sometimes Montacue 

 and probably equivalent to the Irish M'Keague, and the Highland 

 M'Caig), Tadhgan, and MaeTaedhgan (now probably M'Keegan), are 

 all from U&X)r ( a poet, a bard. We may compare with this the 

 names in the Annalists. O'Flaithfhileadh (from Flaith and "PibeA-o, 

 a bard), O'Bardan, and Rig-Bardan, i.e., Royal bard (from b&pt), 

 a bard), and the Highland MacChruiter (now occasionally Anglicised 

 Harperson), from Cptnc, a barp. 



To tbis class belong also those names derived from trades, such as 

 Mac an Gobhan (now Mac Gowan, and occasionally translated, Smith,) 

 from 5°^^) a smith : Mae ant-saoir (now M'Intyre), from S<i.op, 

 a carpenter ; and the Highland Mac Greusich, which means the son of 

 the shoemaker, from 5l^vJ-pAiin, = I embroider or sew. 



YI. This division contains all tbose names which are derived from 

 axmat.s, such as O'Brain (now O'Byrne), from bpcsn, a raven, 

 O'Cuilean (now Collins'), from Cuibe<Mi, a kitten or whelp. Brocan, 

 from bpoc, a badger, Phelan, from "P^ebAn, a little wolf , O'Gabhrain, 

 from 5^^1 1 j a goat. Oisin, (i.e. Ossian) still existing in M'Cushin, is 

 probably the diminutive of Op = a fawn. Luch, the mother of S. 

 Congal, is said to have been so-called from buc, a mouse. 



We may add to these the many names compounded of Cu, a dog; 

 such as Mac Consnamha (i.e., the son of the swimming dog), which is 

 now Mac Kinnawe, or erroneously Anglicised to Forde. 



The vegetable kingdom has also furnished a few names such as 

 Blathmac (from bb.sc, a flower), the name of an ancient chieftain of 

 Ulster, afterwards imposed upon the district in which he lived, in the 

 Anglicised form "Blawic"; Blathnaidh, a woman's name, from the same 

 root ; and Scaithin, a diminutive from Scoc, a flower. 



VII. This class comprises all those names which are ecclesiasti- 

 cal or eeligious in their origin, such as Maelisa and Giolla-isa (now 

 the Scotch, Gillies), both meaning servant of Jesus ; Gilla de, servant 

 of God; Mael Eoin (i.e., servant of John, now Malone) ; O'Maelmi- 

 hil (now O'Mulvihil), the servant of Michael ; and generally all those 

 names compounded of Mael,* or Giolla (or Gil). Mael had also in some 

 combinations the meaning of chief, according to O'Donovan, e.g., 

 Maeldhearg, the Red Chief. Giolla, after "Mac," has been very much 

 modified, as in Mac Avoy, and Mac Areavy, from Mac Giolla buidhe, 

 and Mac Giolla Riabhaich, and in such Highland names as Mac Ilroy, 



* Mael means bald or tonsured, and signifies in these combinations one ton- 

 sured in the name of the person following. 



