MacMhuirich (surname)
Encyclopedia
MacMhuirich is a masculine surname in Scottish Gaelic. The feminine form of the surname is NicMhuirich. The masculine form translates into English as "son of Muireach", and the feminine name translates as "daughter of MacMhuirich". The personal name Muireach means "mariner". The surname has been borne by a noted Hebridean family of bard
s, who claimed descent from an early 13th century Irish bard.
. It originated as a patronym, meaning "son of Muireach", although the surname no longer refers to the father of the bearer.
The personal name
Muireach is a form of the Irish
Muireadhach. These names are derived from the element muir, meaning "sea". The names have been generally translated into English as "mariner"; for example, George Fraser Black translated the names as "belonging to the sea". According to Black, these personal names are much confused with the name Murchadh
, which has been translated into English as "sea warrior" and "sea battler".
on the Isle of Arran
are such that MacMhuirich was pronounced "Ac Uiri" and "Ac Fuiri" due to elision
; thus the Scottish Gaelic surname has also been Anglicised as Currie
. The surname MacMhuirich has also been Anglicised as Macpherson
, due to a confusion of clan
-names borne by separate families (see below).
s, Clann MacMhuirich or Clann Mhuirich, who claimed descent from Muireadhach Albanach
, an early 13th century Irishman who settled in Scotland and was himself employed as a bard. According to Black, who wrote in the mid 20th century, some relations of this family currently bear the surname Macpherson
. The confusion arose from the fact that the Macphersons from Badenoch
, commonly known in English as "Clan Macpherson
", are also traditionally known in Scottish Gaelic as Clann Mhuirich.
Bard
In medieval Gaelic and British culture a bard was a professional poet, employed by a patron, such as a monarch or nobleman, to commemorate the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities.Originally a specific class of poet, contrasting with another class known as fili in Ireland...
s, who claimed descent from an early 13th century Irish bard.
Etymology
The Scottish Gaelic MacMhuirich is a masculine surnameSurname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
. It originated as a patronym, meaning "son of Muireach", although the surname no longer refers to the father of the bearer.
The personal name
Personal name
A personal name is the proper name identifying an individual person, and today usually comprises a given name bestowed at birth or at a young age plus a surname. It is nearly universal for a human to have a name; except in rare cases, for example feral children growing up in isolation, or infants...
Muireach is a form of the Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
Muireadhach. These names are derived from the element muir, meaning "sea". The names have been generally translated into English as "mariner"; for example, George Fraser Black translated the names as "belonging to the sea". According to Black, these personal names are much confused with the name Murchadh
Murchadh
Murchadh is masculine given name in the Irish and Scottish Gaelic languages.-Etymology:A Dictionary of First Names, published by Oxford University Press, defines the Irish name as being derived from the Gaelic elements muir, meaning "sea"; and cadh, meaing "battle"...
, which has been translated into English as "sea warrior" and "sea battler".
Feminine form
The feminine form of MacMhuirich is NicMhuirich. This feminine name is composed of the prefix Nic-, which is an abbreviated form of the Scottish Gaelic nighean mhic or nì mhic, which translates into English as "daughter of the son"; thus NicMhuirich translates as "daughter of MacMhuirich"Anglicised forms
The Scottish Gaelic MacMhuirich has been Anglicised as MacVurich. The phoneticsPhonetics
Phonetics is a branch of linguistics that comprises the study of the sounds of human speech, or—in the case of sign languages—the equivalent aspects of sign. It is concerned with the physical properties of speech sounds or signs : their physiological production, acoustic properties, auditory...
on the Isle of Arran
Isle of Arran
Arran or the Isle of Arran is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde, Scotland, and with an area of is the seventh largest Scottish island. It is in the unitary council area of North Ayrshire and the 2001 census had a resident population of 5,058...
are such that MacMhuirich was pronounced "Ac Uiri" and "Ac Fuiri" due to elision
Elision
Elision is the omission of one or more sounds in a word or phrase, producing a result that is easier for the speaker to pronounce...
; thus the Scottish Gaelic surname has also been Anglicised as Currie
Currie (surname)
Currie is a surname in the English language. The name has numerous origins.-Etymology:In some cases it originated as an habitational name, derived from Currie in Midlothian, Scotland. In other cases it originated as a habitational name, derived from Corrie, in Dumfriesshire, Scotland...
. The surname MacMhuirich has also been Anglicised as Macpherson
Macpherson
MacPherson or Macpherson can refer to:*Clan Macpherson, a Scottish clan*MacPherson v. Buick Motor Co.*MacPherson strut, a car suspension system*MacPherson, Singapore*Macpherson Stadium -In sports:...
, due to a confusion of clan
Scottish clan
Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
-names borne by separate families (see below).
Families
The surname was borne by the noted family of bardBard
In medieval Gaelic and British culture a bard was a professional poet, employed by a patron, such as a monarch or nobleman, to commemorate the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities.Originally a specific class of poet, contrasting with another class known as fili in Ireland...
s, Clann MacMhuirich or Clann Mhuirich, who claimed descent from Muireadhach Albanach
Muireadhach Albanach
Muireadhach Albanach Ó Dálaigh was a Gaelic poet and crusader and member of the Ó Dálaigh bardic family.The Annals of the Four Masters of Ireland, s.a. 1213, tells us that he was the ollamh of Domhnall Ó Domhnaill...
, an early 13th century Irishman who settled in Scotland and was himself employed as a bard. According to Black, who wrote in the mid 20th century, some relations of this family currently bear the surname Macpherson
Macpherson
MacPherson or Macpherson can refer to:*Clan Macpherson, a Scottish clan*MacPherson v. Buick Motor Co.*MacPherson strut, a car suspension system*MacPherson, Singapore*Macpherson Stadium -In sports:...
. The confusion arose from the fact that the Macphersons from Badenoch
Badenoch
Badenoch is a traditional district which today forms part of Badenoch and Strathspey, an area of Highland Council, in Scotland, bounded on the north by the Monadhliath Mountains, on the east by the Cairngorms and Braemar, on the south by Atholl and the Grampians, and on the west by Lochaber...
, commonly known in English as "Clan Macpherson
Clan Macpherson
Clan Macpherson is a Highland Scottish clan from Badenoch, on the River Spey. It is a leading member of the Chattan Confederation.-Origins:...
", are also traditionally known in Scottish Gaelic as Clann Mhuirich.
People with the surname
- James MacphersonJames MacphersonJames Macpherson was a Scottish writer, poet, literary collector and politician, known as the "translator" of the Ossian cycle of poems.-Early life:...
, also known in Scottish Gaelic as Seumas MacMhuirich, an 18th century Scot known for composing 'Ossianic poetry'.