Facts and traditions collected for a family record

" The Celts prefixed it ; the Goths affixed it. Hence we see the Aps of the
Welsh, the O's of the Irish, and the Macs of the Scottish people prefixed to the
names of sons ; while we perceive the Gothic affix, by adding the name son or
dotter after the name of the father."
The following extract is from a document, titled — "A Proposal for
Uniting Scotland with England, addressed to King Henry VIII. By
John Elder, Gierke, a Eeddshanke." 1542 or 1543. Printed in the
Bannatyne Miscellany. In this document the word Yrische is applied
to the Highlanders and Islanders of Scotland ; and to this day the
Gaelic language is called Erische or Erse, by the Lowland Scotch : —
" The said people which inhabitede Scotland afoir the iucummyng of Alban-
actus, being valiant, stronge, and couragious, although they were savage and
wilde, had strange names, as Gillecallum — i.e., Malcolmus ; Donyll, i.e., Don-
aldus. Then their sonnis, followinge theame in manheid and valiauntness,
callide theame selfes after this maner of wyse, leaving ther proper names un-
expresside.
Makconyll, i.e., filius Donaldi ; Makgillecallum, i.e., filius Malcolmi ; and so they
have contenewide unto this daye, and never expressis ther proper names but
when they subscryve a lettir, as Donyll Mak Leode Lewis, i.e. Donaldus filius
Ludovici de Levisia. . The Yrische lordis names in the saide plotte be theis,
Mak Eoyn Whanyghe, i. e., filius Joannis bellicosi.*
Mak-kye, i.e., filius Hugonis ; Mak-YUean, i.e., filius Kellani ; Mak-Neill Varray,
i.e., filius Nigelli de Barra insula ; for Mak in Eyrische signifieth a sonne.
Likewise your Maiesties subiecties were callide O'Neill, i.e., nepos Nigelli ;
O'Bren, i.e., nepos Bernardi ; a degree forthir of then the Eyrische lordes in
Scotland, bicaus the sonnis of the forsaide Neill, Bren, chancede not to be so
valiaunt in manhede and chivalre at the begynning as ther ffathers, but ther
nephiew. Therfor they wer callit O'Neill, O'Bren, omittinge also ther propir
* Mak Eoyn Whanyghe, i.e., MacEoin Chatkanach. The person bearing this patrony-
mic in 1542 was James MacConnell, or Macdonald, of Isla and Kintyre, whose grand-
father was Sir John MacConnell, surnamed Cathanach, or warlike, a word derived from
Cath, signifying, in the Gaelic language, a battle. James Macdonald, of Dunyveg and
the Glens, called Cannochson, after his grandfather, Sir John Macdonald, surnamed
Cathanach, chief of the clan Ian-Mhor of Isla and Kintyre.