Surnames in the Spoken Language

Surnames are variously corrupted in the spoken language, ana deviate in many important respects from the standard or literary form, but it would be impossible within the limits of a short introduction to deal with this aspect of the subject in detail. The corruptions and variations of Ó and Mac, as they affect a large number of surnames, may however be briefly noted.

Ó, or Ua, is corrupted as follows:

1. Sometimes shortened to A, as: A Deóráin for Ó Deóráin, A Gnímh for Ó Gnímh.

2. Sometimes altogether dropped, as: Caomháin for Ó Caomháin, Cathasaigh for Ó Cathasaigh.

3. Sometimes replaced by the genitive case Uí, as: Uí Fhlionn for Ó Floinn, Uí Laoghaire for Ó Laoghaire.

4. Sometimes prefixed to surnames to which it does not properly belong, as: Ó Díolúin for Díolúin, Ó Gogáin for Gogán, Ó Róiste for de Róiste.

The following are the corruptions and variations of Mac and Mag:—

1. c or g attracted over to the name of the ancestor.

This happens when the name of the ancestor commences with a vowel or h or with l, n, or r, or with a consonant aspirated after Mac or Mag. The name of the ancestor is then treated in all the forms of the surname as if it commenced with C or G. Examples:—

Mac Cartáin for Mac Artáin
Mac Ceoghain for Mac Eoghain
Mac Coitir for Mac Oitir
Mac Graith for Mag Raith.

Hence such forms as: Bár an Choitirigh for bár an Oitrigh; an Ceoghnach for an tEoghnach; na Ceoghnaigh for na hEoghnaigh.

2. M in some places always aspirated after the Christian name, as: Eoghan Mhag Aodha, Séamus Mhag Fhloinn, Domhnall Mhac Suibhne; and sometimes entirely dropped, as: Séamus 'ac Conraoi. The c of Mac is also very frequently aspirated, as Éamonn 'ac Síthigh.

3. Sometimes takes the form Ma, Mha, Mhé, the c or g being attracted over as above, as: Ma Gloinn for Mag Fhloinn, Ma Gionnáin for Mag Fhionnáin, Ma Guidhir for Mag Uidhir, Mha Graith for Mag Raith, Mhé Gubháin for Mag Dhubháin.

4. Takes the form "a" when M is dropped and "c" or "g" attracted over, as: Tadhg a Cionnrachtaigh for Tadhg Mac Ionnrachtaigh.

5. Sometimes c or g alone retained, as Caibhistín for Mac Aibhistín, Cuilcín for Mac Uilcín, Gionnghaile for Mag Fhionnghaile.

6. Sometimes made Mág, Mhág, as: Mág Cochláin, Mhág Gafraidh.

7. Sometimes Mhóc, Mhóg, and then, by the dropping of the initial m, óc, óg, uac, uag. When in this case c or g is attracted over, the final form is the same as in Ó surnames. Examples:—

Ó Cathmhaoil for Mac Cathmhaoil.
Ó Ceachmharcaigh for Mac Eachmharcaigh.
Ó Ceómín for Mac Sheóinín.
Ó Ciúrtáin for Mac Shiúrtáin.
Ó Comhnaill for Mac Dhomhnaill.
Ó Connchadha for Mac Dhonnchadha.
Ó Curtáin for Mac Curtáin.
Ó Griada for Mag Riada.
Ó Gruairc for Mag Ruairc.
Ó Gubháin for Mag Dhubháin.
Ua Coibicín for Mac Hoibicín.
Ua Goireachtaigh for Mag Oireachtaigh.

8. In a few instances simply replaced by Ó, as:

Ó Filibín for Mac Filibín,
Ó Siútáin for Mac Shiúrtáin,
Ó Suibhne for Mac Suibhne.

9. Frequently replaced by the genitive case Mhic or 'ic, as: Séamus Mhic Sheóinín for Séamus Mac Sheóinín, Séamus 'ic an Fhranncaigh for Séamus Mac an Fhranncaigh.

10. In Omeath, Mac Giolla is corrupted to Ma'l, as Ma'l Phádraig for Mac Giolla Phádraig, Ma'l Choille for Mac Giolla Choille.

Corruptions and variations of individual surnames, especially when they are reflected in the anglicised form, are noted as they occur in the lists.