ANSTHRLD - Re: ANSTHRLD - Scots Gælic Assistance

Kathleen O'Brien kobrien at bmc.com
Mon Apr 19 14:47:32 PDT 1999


At 01:47 PM 4/19/99 -0500, you wrote:
>A member of my Barony is asking about documentation for the Scots Gælic term
>"Gil" as used in naming.  He is also asking for specifics with regard to
meaning.
>
>I assumed it indicated paternal relation as "Mac" but wanted to consult with
>the experts before replying.  


Here's more than you probably ever wanted to know about "Gilla" names.
I've written it for Irish since my copy of Black is at home.  But the Scots
Gaelic formations parallel the Irish Gaelic.

If you have any specific questions, I'd be glad to try and answer them.

Mari

=================================================
Lady Mari Elspeth nic Bryan
Bordure Herald, Kingdom of Ansteorra
mka Kathleen M. O'Brien
kobrien at bmc.com



Gaelic "Gilla" Names Explained:

There are a number of Gaelic masculine given names that are constructed
"Gilla <name>" meaning "servant or devotee of <name>".

Here are a few examples from O'Corrain & Maguire.  The header from
O'Corrain & Maguire is on the first line for each example.  The second line
contains the meaning and the page number that the header may be found on.

Gilla Brénainn: Giolla Bhrénainn	
	"servant of St. Brendan", p. 111
Gilla Bridge: Giolla Bhrighdhe, Giolla Bhríde	
	"servant of St. Brigid", p. 111
Gilla Cellaig: Giolla Cheallaigh
	"servant of St. Cellach, p. 111
Gilla Cáemgein: Giolla Chaoimhín
	"servant of St. Kevin", p. 111
Gilla Comgaill: Giolla Chomhghaill
 	"servant of St. Comgall", p. 111
Gilla Críst: Giolla Chríost
	"servant of Christ", p. 111
Gilla Epscoip: Giolla Easpaig
	"servant of the bishop", p. 111
Gilla Ísu: Giolla Íosa
	"servant of Jesus", p. 112
Gilla Mochutu: Giolla Mochuda
	"servant of St. Mochutu", p. 112
Gilla na Náem: Giolla na Naomh
	"servant of the saints", p. 112
Gilla Pátraic: Giolla Phádraig
	"servant of St. Patrick", p. 112

If your submitter wants to use a "Gilla" name as a patronymic byname in
Gaelic, then the name would be formed:
	<masculine given name> mac Gilla Comgaill
or
	<feminine given name> ingen Gilla Gomgaill
for example.

MacLysaght's Surnames of Ireland (6th ed.) gives several examples of
surnames derived from "Gilla" names.  Here are some of them:

Header:           Derived from:        Meaning, page:
(Mac) Gilchrist   Giolla Chríost       "servant of Christ", p. 123
(Mac) Gildea      Giolla Dhé           "servant of God", p. 123
(Mac) Gilfoyle    Mac Giolla Phóil     "servant of St. Paul", p. 124
(Mac) Gillanders  Mac Giolla Aindréis  "devotee of St. Andrew" p. 124
(Mac) Gilmartin   Mac Giolla Mhártain  "devotee of St. Martin", p. 125
(Mac) Gilmore     Mac Giolla Mhuire    "devotee of B.V. Mary", p. 125
(Mac) Gils(h)enan Mac Giolla Seanáin   "devotee of St. Senan", p. 126
(Mac) Gilvarry    Mac Giolla Bhearaigh "devotee of St. Barry", p. 126

If your submitter wants a name formed:
	<given name> Gilmore 
for example, be aware that this is an Anglicized construction since the
patronymic article is not dropped in Gaelic.  So John Gilmore or Katherine
Gilmore (fully Anglicized) are more appropriate than Seamus Gilmore or
Caitlin Gilmore (Gaelic with Anglicized Gaelic), though the mixed forms are
now registerable.
 
But wait, you say (looking at MacLysaght), "What about the meanings for
these entries in MacLysaght?"

Gilbey            Ó Giolla Bhuidhe     buidhe = yellow, p. 123
(Mac) Gilgar      Mac Giolla Gheáirr   geárr=short, p. 124	
(Mac) Gilhooly    Mac Giolla Ghuala    guala = shoulder, p. 124
(Mac) Gilroy      Mac Giolla Rua       rua=red, p. 125

For these 4 instances where MacLysaght gives a translation and it is not a
saint's name, there are given names in OC&M which are similar in
pronunciation, namely Béoáed, Gadra or Guaire, Grella, and Raichbe or
Rúadán.  I believe that these four surnames originally derived from a
"servant of Saint <name>" type name and their pronunciations became so
corrupted when they were Anglicized, that  their original form was lost.


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