Re: Celtic months (was: Some suggestions)

[Padraic Brown <pbrown@nova.umuc.edu>]

On Tue, 26 Jan 1999, Raymond A. Brown wrote:

> [Celtic month names]
> 
> I don't know the modern Irish names - but I do have the Scots Gaelic ones
> and I notice Meitheamh is not there (Doesn't meanto say the Irish don't
> still have it, though).  But a couple of the names reminded me of the legal
> Kernu names & I thought Padraig might be interested.  The Gaelic names are
> all preceeded by the definite article:

I deleted the def. arts. and replaced the accented vowels, which didn't
come out right :-(  Alex. MacBain's Etymological dict. of Scottish Gaelic
gives the explanations I've put in parentheses; Malcolm MacLennan's Gaelic
Dict. gives the other list.  Giblean and Sultain remain unrevealled.

> Jan Faoilteach (Wolf mo.)     ceud-mhios na bliadhna
> Feb Gearran    (Gelding)      ceud-mhios na earraich
> Mar Maàrt      (Martius)      mios na Mairt
> Apr Giblean   (April)         an Giblean
> May Ceéiteann  (cetsoman > Head of Summer  --same--
> Jun oÒgmos     (Ogmios a god) an og mhios, mios meadhoin an t-Samhraidh
> Jul Iuchar     (the dog days)  m. deireannach an t-S.
> Aug Luùnastl   (Lug's festival/wedding) c. m. an Fhoghair
> Sep Sultain    (?)             m. meadhonach an Fhoghair
> Oct Damhair    (rutting time)  m. deireannach an Fhoghair
> Nov Samhain    (Summer's end)  c. mhios a' gheamhraidh
> Dec Dubhlachd  (black ?)       m. meadhonach a' gheamhraidh

first mo. of the year; 1st mo. of spring; March; April; head of summer;
Ogmios/middle month of Summer; last month of Summer; first Harvest month;
middle harvest month; last harvest month; first month of Winter; middle
month of Winter.

The list of Irish Gaelic months I've got is:
Jan	Eanair
Feb	mi na Feabra, mi na Feile Bride (Bridget's feast)
Mar	an Marta
Apr	an tAibrean
May	mi na Bealtaine  (bright fire)
Jun	an Meitheamh     (could this be connected with middle?)
Jul	Iuil
Aug	mi na Lunasa
Sep	Mean Fhomhair
Oct	Deireadh Fomhair
Nov	mi na Samhna
Dec	mi na Nollag     (Nowel)

> 
> Can't help noticing 'dubh' "black" in the last name :)   I don't know the
> etymologies of the others, except March which is clearly a borrowing from
> Latin.

Dumanios might be composed of dubis (black) as well.

> 
> Legal Kernu 'Cutios' (April) might be cognate with Céiteann (May) and

If Ceiteann means 'head of summer', then no, as head was pennos (Pensamos,
perhaps).  Cutios is left unrevealled.

> 'Samonios' must surely be cognate with 'Samhain'.  But I must admit that
> the others do not seem at all related.  

So it would seem.

Padraic.

> And the presence of 'Meitheamh' in
> Irish all re-inforce mu belief that each Celtic community probably had
> their own naming system with the same name occasionally being used by
> different communities for the same or roughly the same month - exactly what
> find among the ancient Greeks.
> 
> Ray.
> 
> 
> 
>