De-Anglicisation of Names

[bjproc]

hi slohairt, do you have anything for Alan (first name)


thanks

[highlander_Daz]

Its strange you say your parents were reluctant to speak the language, My Grandfather would get into serious trouble for speaking Scots Gaelic at school, and he also had a good command of Irish Gaelic, he would often use a word that sounded like

ALI - COO- SAH (ali as in ali baba, coo as in shoe, and sah as in bar) Ive no idea what it means but i suspect in maybe slang or profanity

can you shed any light?

[slohairt]

Its strange you say your parents were reluctant to speak the language, My Grandfather would get into serious trouble for speaking Scots Gaelic at school, and he also had a good command of Irish Gaelic, he would often use a word that sounded like

ALI - COO- SAH (ali as in ali baba, coo as in shoe, and sah as in bar) Ive no idea what it means but i suspect in maybe slang or profanity

can you shed any light?

Not so strange, really. A fairly common attitude in Ireland, especially among their age-group. They are very fluent Ulster dialect speakers and, in fact, my mother could not speaker English until she went to school. They were mainly reluctant to teach it to my sister and I, as they felt it would be of little use here in Canada. It was of little use to them in Ireland as well. Despite the numerous attempts to restore Irish as a practical language, English is, and will always be, the language of business and economic opportunity. We are from a Gaeltacht region, and those areas were especially deprived during the 1940s and 1950s. Once you left the Gaeltacht, you had to speak English 99% of the time.

As for your suspected Irish profanity: I'm not really sure. I can't think of any terms that would remotely resemble that in sound. I'd have to see it written.

[slohairt]

hi slohairt, do you have anything for Alan (first name)


thanks

Alan (or Allen, Allan, Alain, etc.) is a personal name which occurs in all six Celtic languages. Various etymologies abound, but many believe it means noble one.

The Scottish Gaelic version is Ailean.

[bjproc]

Alan (or Allen, Allan, Alain, etc.) is a personal name which occurs in all six Celtic languages. Various etymologies abound, but many believe it means noble one.

The Scottish Gaelic version is Ailean.

thanks solhairt, just now googling it

[Daibhidh O'Baoighill]

Hello Slohairt!

Great thread you have here! I was wondering if you could help me out? I always assumed that my mother's surname, Potts, was English. My uncle recently told me it was of Gealic origin. Could Potts be an anglicized version of MacFilib? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Slainte!
David

[slohairt]

Hello Slohairt!

Great thread you have here! I was wondering if you could help me out? I always assumed that my mother's surname, Potts, was English. My uncle recently told me it was of Gealic origin. Could Potts be an anglicized version of MacFilib? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Slainte!
David

A Dhaibhidh,

POTTS This name is of English etymological origin, derived from Philpott, a pet form (probably Norman) of Phillip. Of course, this could mean it is found in the Lowlands of Scotland as well as in England. However, etymologically speaking, it is not of Gaelic origin. Occasionally, Potts can also be an occupational name, much like Potter.

Mac Fhilib, means son of Phillip, and is usually Anglicised as MacKillop. I am often leery of sept lists which place names together of differing locale and linguistic origin. Just because they have a similar root (albeit from two different languages) does not mean they are connected.

[Daibhidh O'Baoighill]

A Dhaibhidh,

POTTS This name is of English etymological origin, derived from Philpott, a pet form (probably Norman) of Phillip. Of course, this could mean it is found in the Lowlands of Scotland as well as in England. However, etymologically speaking, it is not of Gaelic origin. Occasionally, Potts can also be an occupational name, much like Potter.

Mac Fhilib, means son of Phillip, and is usually Anglicised as MacKillop. I am often leery of sept lists which place names together of differing locale and linguistic origin. Just because they have a similar root (albeit from two different languages) does not mean they are connected.

Thanks Sohairt!