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From: deb5@ellis.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff)
Subject: Re: Linguistic history of Mc & Mac in Scotland?
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References: <1995May10.135154.29062@onionsnatcorp.ox.ac.uk>
Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 01:40:37 GMT
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In article <1995May10.135154.29062@onionsnatcorp.ox.ac.uk>,
Glynis Baguley <gmb@onions.natcorp.ox.ac.uk> wrote:
>In article <3nk75u$gkl@mark.ucdavis.edu> "Richard D. Clark" <rdclark@wheel.dcn.davis.ca.us> writes:

>> I always assumed that Richard was a Celtic name as I've known of several in
>> Cornwall, and have read of others in Breton.

And I've read of ones in Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, and beyond.
>
>It's one of the names that became popular in England after the
>Norman Conquest (along with, obviously, William, and Robert, and so
>on). I vaguely thought it might be Germanic in origin, via Norman
>French, but I suppose it might go back to the Celtic period in Western
>Europe. No suitable reference book with me, I'm afraid!

I would've thought this was a no-brainer, but then again, I can't say
for absolute certain what the earliest form of the name would be.
The Welsh spelling, Rhisiart, makes it painfully obvious that they
borrowed it, but I supposed one could argue that the Norman French
model for this was borrowed from Gaulish.

But why when Germanic interpretations (Ric "kingdom" or "rich" +
hard, hart "strong, hard") come so easily to mind?  Then there's the 
German form Reichert (and its many variations) which co-exists with 
the reborrowed "Richard." Also, I can't think of any Continental
Celtic morphemes to explain the second syllable. 

If this argumentation isn't enough, I can always return with an actual
citation. ^_^
-- 
	 Daniel "Da" von Brighoff    /\          Dilettanten
	(deb5@midway.uchicago.edu)  /__\         erhebt Euch
				   /____\      gegen die Kunst!
