How the names work

The names in the Táin look like a wall of consonants. They are built from a small number of parts, and the book explains most of them as it goes.

Mac and the father's name

Mac means "son of". Fergus mac Roich is Fergus son of Roech. Kinsella's note on the name says that no set name-form is followed in the translation, and that the mac is generally left untranslated in direct speech or where the relationship has no particular importance to the story.

The father's name does not hold still. The same note says that for consistency Kinsella usually adopted the primary version given in Thurneysen's lists. Another note says Fergus is "Fergus mac Rossa" in the text, and that Rus was Fergus's grandfather. Sualdam, the father of Cúchulainn, is also a mac Roich. Conchobor is Conchobor mac Nesa, and his mother is Nes. Dáire, the man with the Brown Bull, is Dáire mac Fiachna.

Mac also begins names with a capital. Medb's messenger is Mac Roth. Fiacha mac Fir Febe is written with a capital in one place and a small letter in another. In a chant at Gáirech the word is spelled meic: Laegaire Buadach mac Connaid Buidi meic Ilech.

Words that start names

Cú means "hound". Cúchulainn gets his name when he kills the smith Culann's guard dog with his bare hands and then offers to guard Culann's herds himself until a pup is grown. Cathbad says, "Cúchulainn shall be your name, the Hound of Culann." Cúchulainn says he likes that for a name. A note on the epithet "Squinter" says the word behind it could be a diminutive of Cú, "Hound", and adds a gloss from the Yellow Book of Lecan that cúa was the old Gaelic word for squinting.

Dub means "black" and Donn means "brown". Kinsella's note says the bull of Cuailnge is called either Dub, "the Black", or Donn, "the Brown". The text itself says Donn Cuailnge, the Brown, and Finnbennach Ai, the White, were the names of the two bulls, after other names they had when they were pig-keepers, birds, sea creatures, warriors, phantoms and maggots.

Ath is a ford, Mag a plain, Druim a ridge and Glenn a valley. The book glosses these through its place-names: Ath Lethan is "the broad ford", Mag Mannachta is "the Plain of Mann's Death", Druim Licce is "the flagstone ridge", and Glenn Dáilimda is "the valley above Omeath".

Four more elements are never explained in the book. They are plain dictionary words. Bó is a cow, as in Táin Bó Cuailnge, which Kinsella renders "The Cattle-Raid of Cuailnge". Dún is a fort, as in Dún Sobairche. Mór is "great", as in Maine Mórgor. Sliab is a mountain, as in Sliab Fuait.

Epithets

Kinsella's note on Eochaid Sálbuide says that Sálbuide means "yellow heel", and that he gives the English meaning of epithets throughout where he can without interfering too much with the narrative. He does the same with place-names. So the names come with their meanings attached: Bricriu the Poison-Tongued, Maine Athramail the Fatherlike, Buide mac Báin, which his note gives literally as "Yellow son of White", and Ferbaeth, which another note gives as "foolish man".

The seven sons of Medb are all called Maine, and the epithets tell them apart. Medb lists them when she counts up her following: Máthramail the Motherlike, Athramail the Fatherlike, Mórgor the strongly dutiful, Míngor the sweetly dutiful, Móepirt who is above description, Andoe the swift, and Cotagaib Uli, who has all the qualities.

One person, several names

Cúchulainn is born under another name. In the tale of his begetting, the man in Deichtine's dream tells her the child is to be called Sétanta, and when the son is born his mother calls him Sétanta. Years later, a boy joining the games at Emain Macha, he gives it to Conchobor himself: "I am Sétanta, son of Sualdam and your sister Deichtine." Kinsella's note on the first naming says the anomalies of timescale are ignored in the interests of giving Cúchulainn a triple birth.

The name Cúchulainn comes later, from the hound. Other names are nicknames. Forgall Monach calls him "the warped one from Emain Macha", and a note says the reason for the nickname and the nature of the warp-spasm become clear in the Táin. Ferdia calls him Squinter when their friendship breaks.

Conchobor has a second title as well. His mother Nes bargains with Fergus mac Roich for a year of kingship for her son, so that his son can be called the son of a king. Conchobor is known as Cathbad's son, and is then called "king of Ulster."

Where the spellings give way

Some names will not settle. Kinsella's notes say that Uisliu is the form most often used in the text, but Uisnech is also used. For Finn, the son of Finnoman, there is "no complete agreement on the form of these names." The text gives Iarngualae, which he changes to Ol nguala for consistency with another tale. The pronunciation guide adds that accents are not shown on capitals.

Two bearers can also share one name. Kinsella's note on Finnabair, the daughter of Medb and Ailill, says the name is cognate with "Guinevere" and should not be confused with the place-name Finnabair in Cuailnge.