368 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



11. avi in oghams has usually been translated ' grandson.' I question if 

 it ever has this meaning in them, and suggest that it means 'a remote 

 descendant,' and is used as the recognized term for indicating the sept, cend, 

 aicme, a subdivision of the tuath. In the genealogies, the primary septs, 

 i.e. the first and principal subdivisions of the tuath, not unfrequently have 

 feminine eponyms, e.g. Ui Brigte, Ui Erca. In sub-septs, arising from 

 division of primary septs, the ancestors appear to be always male.' 



The relative frequency of feminine names after avi is notable. Hence I 

 think that avi denotes remote descent, probably from a mythological ancestor. 



12. The instances of avi noted in which the name following is ascertainable 

 are as follows : — 



Cunamaqqi avi Corbbi 19. 



a Curciti avi Vodduv angac ? 40. 



TTvanos avi Ivacattos 50. 



Maqi-Nalggeri maqi Tabirrass avi Qettias 61. 



Isari avi Ggatteci 110. 



Colomagni avi Ducagni 129. 



Maqi-Decceddas avi Turanias 135. 



Artagni avi Ditibeas ? 154. 



Anavlamattias mucoi Maqi-Eiiri- avi Axeras 196. 



Cunalegea^ maqi C . . . salar celi Ave dvecea 216. 



Ebrasi maqi Elti avi Ogatas ? 228. 



Q,rit . . . maqi Lobacona avi Seagracolinea 240. 



Cunalegi avi Cunacanos J, 1898, p. 402. 



Navvallo avvi Genittac[ci] J, 1895, p. 133. 



Sedan[i avvi Der]camasoci ib. 



Maqi Cairatini avi Ineqaglas J, 1898, p. 57. 



13. Barry has already identified Avvi Genittac with the Leinster sept 

 Ui Gentig, and Avvi [Der]camasoci with the Leinster sept Ui Dercmossaig.* 

 Both oghams belong to Leinster. Avi Ineqaglas (i) is found in an ogham of 

 southern Meath, which was Leinster territory until the beginning of the sixth 

 century. The name is that of the Leinster sept Ui Enechglais. Avi Turanias, 

 in a Kerry ogham, contains the name of the Ciarraige sept Ui Torna. If I 

 am right in regarding Ave dvecea as gen. pL, it suggests another sept. The 



1 Feminine eponyms are no proof of matriarchy. They may be ascribed to a mixture of religious 

 and genealogical notions. The Athenians are not regarded as having followed matriarchy, though 

 their eponym is the name of a goddess. 



"^ More likely Maqi lari as in 13. 



3 Read Cunalegi as in the third following inscr.? 



* Dearcmossach mac Cathair 3fair BB 131/318. 



