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ArchivesCormac and word order in ancient Gaelic
I see that Cormac is described on this site as meaning "son of defilement". However, surnames in Gaelic that mean "son of" seem to have the "Mac" in front. Does anyone know if word order is important in Gaelic as it is in English? Would "defiled son" be a better interpretation for Cormac than "son of defilement"?
I know this is a subtle issue; I was just wondering if anyone would know.
I know this is a subtle issue; I was just wondering if anyone would know.
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Also, if the "mac' is the element meaning "son of" would it matter where it is positioned? If it had been altered, I would think that it would change the meaning, but maybe it was changed for aesthetic - Maccor or Cormac? So I would think it is probably "son of defilement."
Granted, this is just a semi-educated guess, nothing definite. :)
Granted, this is just a semi-educated guess, nothing definite. :)
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Well, the two meanings imply quite different things. 'Though English is not my native language and I might be missing something, this is how I see it: "Son of defilement" would imply that the child was conceived in some miasmatic manner (*before his birth*), whereas "defiled son" would imply that the poor devil was somehow tainted *after his birth*.
Heuristically speaking, it seems that the former explanation is more plausible -- as the latter explanation would imply some kind of time lag between birth and defilement.
Heuristically speaking, it seems that the former explanation is more plausible -- as the latter explanation would imply some kind of time lag between birth and defilement.
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