mac

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m. ‘a son’, ‘Son (of God)’ 11.16, 13.12, etc.; gen. sg. mic 6.1, 22.6, etc.; voc. sg. mic 19.13; with qualifying noun in gen. sg. mac tíre ‘wolf’; gen. pl. na mac dtíre 26.5

Aibidil Gaoidheilge & Caiticiosma: Seaán Ó Cearnaigh's Irish primer of religion, published in 1571. Editor: Brian Ó Cuív.

[15]. In proper names the paradigm usually followed is Mac Con, MacNessa (the well-known heroes); Mac Murchadha (head of his name); mac Cormaic (Cormac’s son); Cormac Mhac Murchadha; Conn Mhac Cormaic (Mheic Murchadha). The gens. of the above are Meic, Mheic, meic, mheic. In the MSS. the usage is not consistent, family names with Mac sometimes following the example of those with Ó. The distinction sometimes given between Mac Murchadha (head of clan) and Mac Mhurchadha (Murchadh’s son) does not seem to be observed, the proper name, which with Mac, Meic, forms a surname, being rarely lenited. This is also the case with nicknames, ceann, etc. Briain Ballaigh, mac Aodha Buidhe being very common. In certain family names Mág, Méig take the place of Mac, Meic. Occasionally mac is found as second part of a compound Íosa-mhac, Jesus the Son 57 12.

Aithdioghluim Dána: A Miscellany of Irish Bardic Poetry, Historical and Religious, including the Historical Poems of the Duanaire in the Yellow Book of Lecan. Vol II, Translations, Notes, Vocabulary. Editor: Lambert McKenna S.J.

m., son, 1499; gen. mic, 9221; voc. a mhic, 2193; a mheic, 4485, 4889; pl. mic, 5121; meic, 4780; dat. macaibh, 9431

Trí Bior-Ghaoithe an Bháis: The Three Shafts of Death. Author: Geoffrey Keating. Editor: Osborn Bergin.