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Scottish Gaelic Given Names: For Men:
Names of Scottish Gaels from Scottish Gaelic Sources

Donnchadh
Draft Edition

by Sharon L. Krossa
Last updated 29 Jun 2007 (this section), 29 Jun 2007 (article as a whole)  

This is a draft edition! It is very incomplete! See the first part of this article. You have been warned!


Evidence

Pre-1600 Scottish Gaelic Evidence (from documents written using Gaelic orthography)

The early 12th century Gaelic notes in the Book of Deer mention "Donchad mac Mec Bead mec Hidid", "Morgunn mac Donnchid", and "Gilli Petair mac Donnchaid".[Jackson; Simple Guide]

Pre-1600 Scottish Gaelic Evidence (from documents written in Gaelic but using Scots orthography)

As yet, no pre-1600 Scottish Gaelic examples of the name have been found in documents written in Gaelic but using Scots orthography.

Pre-1600 Latin Evidence from Scotland

From The Charters of David I (Barrow CD1):

Letters in [] were italic in the book, indicating they were expanded by the editor (I've only done this for the actual Duncan parts, not other words or names). Except where noted, all the examples are from witness lists so in some non-genitive oblique case -- though in these cases the father's name in patronymics should still be in the genitive case.

Page - Spellings - Year
----------------------
166-7 - Dunecanus Comes - 1150x53 ("said to have contained the following words", original manuscript destroyed in 1700 fire; nominative)
79 - Willelmo filio Dunecan ... & comite Dunecan - 1136x7 (genitive then other oblique)
79 - Dunec[ano] Comite - 1136x7
81 - Willelmo filio Dunecan ... Dunec[ano] comite - 1136x41 (genitive then other oblique)
85 - Dunec[ano] comite - 1136x43 (Note indicating it was <Dunec'>
85 - Willelmo filio DVnecaN . DV[necano] - 1139 (Note indicating "parchment torn; letters supplied from no. 69"; genitive then other oblique)
86 - Willelmo filio Dunecan . Dunec[ano] Comite - 1139 (this is no. 69; genitive then other oblique)
86 - Dunecan comite - 1138x47
95 - Dunec[ano] comite - probably 1140
96 - Dunec[ano] comite - probably 1140
96 - Dunecano comite - probably 1140
97 - Dunec[ano] comite - probably 1140
97 - Dunecano comite - 1136x47
97 - Dunecano comite - probably 1140
100 - Cospatric & Duncan comitibus - 1140
100 - Dunecan comite - 1140x1
101 - Dunc[ano] comite - 1140x47
108 - Comite Duncano - 1140x1153
114 - Dunec[ano] Comite - 1141x47
115 - Dunec[ano] Comite - 1144
115 - Dunec[ano] Comite - 1144x53, probably 1144
116 - Dunecan[o] Comite - probably 1144
118 - Comite Dunec[ano] - 1141x50
119 - Doncado comite de Fib - 1139x53 (note this is from the notes in the Book of Deer -- this one was the 7th one which was in Latin rather than in Gaelic)
120 - Duncan[o] comite - 1137x47, probably 1141x47
120 - Willelmo filio Dunec[ani] - 1139x47 (genitive)
125 - Willelmo filio Dunecani - 1141x47 (genitive)
126 - Dunecano comite - 1141x47
127 - Dunc[ano] comite - 1144x52, probably 1147x52
128 - Dunc[ano] comite - 1136x53, probably 1145x53
126 - Comes Dunec[anus] - 1147 (nominative)
132 - Dunec[ano] comite - 1145x53, probably 1148x50
133 - Dunecano comite - 1141x50, probably 1148x50
136 - Duncan[o] comite - 1147x51
138 - Duncan[us] comes - 1150x52 (nominative. possibly this is from a later copy and not the original)
138 - Dunec[ano] Comite - 1150x52
139 - Comite Dunech - 1147-51 (This is actually nominative -- or rather, it should be, all the other names in the list are in the nominative. A note indicates "Sic, for Comes")
141 - Dunc[ano] Comite - 1150x53
146 - Dunc[ano] Comite - 1150x53 (footnote indicates another ms. of this charter gives Dunecano)
147 - Duncan[o] Comite - 1150x53
149 - Dunec[ano] Comite - 1139x53, probably 1150x53
156 - Duncano Comite - 1152x3

From a 1221 charter (Barrow Kingdom of the Scots):

Pre-1600 Scots Language Evidence

(To be included when found.)

Pre-1600 Anglo-Norman French Evidence from Scotland

Pre-1600 Irish Gaelic Evidence

There are a number of entries in Irish annals that refer to Scottish men with this name :

From the Annals of Tigernach:

From the Annals of Ulster:

From the Annals of Inisfallen:

Pre-1600 Latin Evidence from Ireland

(To be included if found.)

Pre-1600 English Language Evidence from Ireland

(To be included if found.)

Modern Scottish Gaelic Evidence

(To be included if found.)

Conclusions

Speculative Pre-1600 Scottish Gaelic Forms

(To be written when time permits.)

Summary

In the table below, all Gaelic spellings are normalized; the first column gives Early Gaelic spellings (roughly 600-900 AD), the fifth text column gives Middle Gaelic spellings (roughly 900-1200 AD), and the ninth text column gives Common Gaelic spellings (roughly 1200-1700). A question mark, ?, after a form indicates it is a speculative Scottish Gaelic spelling and parentheses, ( ), around a form indicates it is a non-Gaelic spelling (e.g., Latin or Scots language). Genitive case forms are labeled as such and within square brackets, [ ]. An X in a column indicates there is at least one known example of a form of the name used for a Scottish Gael in the century indicated at the top of that column. An asterisk, *, in a column indicates the same thing except that the evidence has not yet been included above.

Early Medieval   Late Medieval
Early Gaelic Spelling
7th Cent. 8th Cent. 9th Cent.  
Middle Gaelic Spelling
10th Cent. 11th Cent. 12th Cent.  
Common Gaelic Spelling
13th Cent. 14th Cent. 15th Cent. 16th Cent. 17th Cent.
(To be included when time permits.)         Donnchad
[genitive = Donnchaid]
[genitive = Donnchada]
X X X   Donnchadh
[genitive = Donnchaidh]
[genitive = Donnchadha]
X * * *  

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