Dè tha san ainm?/ What's in the name?

[GunChleoc]

I don't know about meanings, but here's a correspondence list

[Níall Beag]

Ha, tha an aon ainm ormsa! Chreid mi gu bheil "Ruairidh" a tighinn às "Roderick", a thàinig às "Theodoric"- chan eil mi cinnteach ciamar.

There's a big problem in determining the meaning of Gaelic names.

The practice of using one language as the official language of the register of births, deaths and marriages led to the need for English equivalents of all Gaelic names, even where there wasn't one.

This meant that big "correspondence lists" were drawn up with many incorrect etymologies and many consciously invented correspondences.

So the Viking name Ulric, Ualraig in Gaelic, is "Kennedy" in English. Why? Because the surname "MacUalraig" is the name of a sept of the Kennedy clan.

Furthermore, there's lots of names that etymological lists say means "mighty hero", "famous warrior" or "great ruler"; but in the end all this usually means is that there once was a mighty hero, famous warrior or great ruler who bore this name, and people named their kids after him making him more important than the original meaning.

My name, Nìall, is one of these. It's a really old Celtic name so there's next to no chance that anyone will ever work out the etymology, but I like to speculate that it is related to the name "Nil" in India. Well they do also have Kiran, so there seems to be some small thread of continuity between Sanskrit and Celtic names. Mere speculation though.

[Seonaidh]

Toll-thrèicil - good as I can do.

Tha Farsi is Beurla glè fhaisg rin cèile - tha facal beurla airson "dona" no "droch" - 's e "bad" a th'ann - agus 's e an t-aon fhacal a th' ann am Farsi.

Sanscrit? ceithir => cattvara, còig => panca
Cuimris: ceithir => pedwar, còig => pump
(bha C san t-Sanscrit mar T sa Ghàidhlig ann an "teoclaid")

[treaclemine]

Thank you, all. My given name is of Latin origin, and isn't on the akerbeltz list. But I know the Latin meaning quite precisely, so I hoped there might be a Gaelic name with a similar meaning.

[Seonaidh]

Don't tell me - "Mina Treacla"?

In Irish, I think "Eithne" is the equivalent of "Lucy".

[IainDonnchaidh]

Bha Clann Dhonnchaidh mèirlich mòr nan bò, nach eil ?

'S e seann obair uasal a tha'ann

[Carinna-Rose]

Halò! ^_^ I am very interested in my Celtic roots and was wondering what my name, Carinna-Rose, is in Gàidhlig. If anyone can help me that would be grand. I dont know the language... but I want to learn

[faoileag]

Halò Carinna-Rose,

Fàilte! Welcome!

Great that you plan to learn Gaelic sometime. Lots of tips and links on here: http://www.foramnagaidhlig.net/index.php?page=2

- and lots of people happy to help learners who want to try out stuff on the easy bilingual threads.

I can recommend the small free BBC online course Beag air Bheag: http://www.bbc.co.uk/alba/foghlam/beag_air_bheag/

There is Gaelic being taught and used in Australia too - contact: http://www.ozgaelic.org/index.html

Or contact Alastair Bochd on this site.

Regarding your name, Carinna doesn't have a Gaelic equivalent, but the Gaelic for 'Rose' is 'Ròs' (the name of the flower - not commonly heard as a girl's name). You could always go for the very Gaelic name of Catrìona.

Tìoraidh an-dràsta! Bye for now!

faoileag

[Carinna-Rose]

Faoileag, Tapadh leat! [I hope that means thank you, Im still very bad at it =_=; lol]

Aw its a shame that my name cant be translated, but Catrìona looks pretty! ^_^ how do you pronounce it? ummm... ka-tree-oo-nah??

I will definitely check out the sites thx heaps! I appreciate the help. I heard there is a Celtic festival in my state, in Portarlington so I hope to go there sometime. I imagine it would be lots of fun! lol

[bsuibhne]

I have seen "Róisín" as an Irish name quite a bit. I believe it means little rose.

[faoileag]

That's a nice suggestion, if you have mixed Celtic roots: Catrìona-Róisín.

ka-TREE-onna ro-SHEEEN.

[AlasdairBochd]

Fàilte dhan fhòram a Charinna-Rose. Tha buidheann mhath ann am Melbourne.
Seo ceangal.
Welcome to the forum, Carinna-Rose. There's a good group in Meblourne.
Here's a link.
http://www.scottish-gaelic.org.au/
They're very friendly and have a very good choir also.

[Carinna-Rose]

Oh wow ^_____^ I dont think I have Irish roots exactly... My gradmother's family name is McPherson. I think she said they come from Laggan in the Highlands on her fathers side for lots of generations. And on her mothers side they come from Norway and Holy Island, Northumberland? But I dont know if thats Celtic... lol

Thanks for all the suggetions they are great! I am actually look for my artist signature to sign all my painting, at the moment they are blank because mothing felt right. I have an instant like for Catrìona when I saw it, and Róisín is pretty too! Tho I am not Irish so using that might be a bit fake, like taking something thats not mine? lol I dont know ^_^;

@AlasdairBochd: There's one in Melbourne?! thats even better! Thx for letting me know. I hope its not expensive.. TYG book might have to do for now haha.

[GunChleoc]

Fàilte ort!

Welcome

[Thrissel]

EDS, dè a' Ghàidhlig air Keith? The an làrach-lìn Akerbeltz ag ràdh Cé, ach na Litrichean do Luchd-ionnsachaidh 618 & 619 a' cleachdadh Cèith. Agus an ann as coltaiche gum biodh fileantach san t-sreath a' bruidhinn mu m.e. Keith Brown, Cé/Cèith Brown no Cè MacIlleDhuinn?

BTW, what is the Gaelic for Keith? The Akerbeltz site says Cé (I suppose [ke:]), but the Litrichean do Luchd-ionnsachaidh 618 & 619 use Cèith (I hear it as [k?:j]). And would an ordinary native speaker more probably talk about eg Keith ([ki:?]) Brown, Cé/Cèith Brown or Cè MacIlleDhuinn?