[antir-heralds] gaelic scots name questions

[Ursula Georges]

Judy Harcus wrote:
> A client is working on a Gaelic Scots name.  Her highest priority seems 
> to be finding a name she likes the looks and sound of, and doesn't 
> really have a particular time period.  She's asked the following 
> question which I thought I'd pass on to the experts.  Some of her 
> potential first names, though, came from OCM (Irish Names) so I'm not 
> sure if those fit with the Scots Gaelic bynames.  - Alicia

Forms of <Brian> were certainly used in Ireland, so it should go well 
with Irish names . . .

> -------- Original Message --------
> I've been working more on this name thing -yeah, still.  lol   And now I 
> have more questions -go figure.  I've been working in the by-name part a 
> bit -doing the whole daughter-of thing. And I think I have that part 
> worked out.  I think I want to use ingen/inghen/inghean/ 
> Brian/Briain/Bhrian/Bhriain    ...if you haven't guessed I have some 
> spelling (I know spelling's not period, but...) questions.  'Cause 
> there's that whole confusing Gaelic Lenition thing that's confusing.  
> And it changes the pronunciation?  So also how will that all be 
> pronounced once it's all spelt in the good correct Scottish way??  

After about 1200, the standard spelling would be <inghean Bhriain>. 
There are a couple of Academy reports which give pronunciation for this 
phrase, such as this one:

http://www.s-gabriel.org/2196

Roughly, it's EEN-yun VREE-ahn.  You can get a slightly more accurate 
description with some more special notation from the Academy report.

Ursula Georges.