The Element sceilg in Irish Place-names – A Borrowing of Latin spelu(n)ca?
Modern Irish sceilg is defined as a ‘steep rock’ or ‘crag’ (Ó Dónaill, 1977). The Old Irish form is sceillec (Dictionary of the Irish Language, 1913–1976). It is rare and now chiefly known through a handful of toponyms but is of considerable importance due to its occurrence in names at two notable e...
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Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
2025
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| _version_ | 1869530588514353152 |
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| author | Tempan, Paul |
| author_browse | Tempan, Paul |
| author_facet | Tempan, Paul |
| author_sort | Tempan, Paul |
| collection | Directory of Open Access Books |
| description | Modern Irish sceilg is defined as a ‘steep rock’ or ‘crag’ (Ó Dónaill, 1977). The Old Irish form is sceillec (Dictionary of the Irish Language, 1913–1976). It is rare and now chiefly known through a handful of toponyms but is of considerable importance due to its occurrence in names at two notable early Christian monastic sites, namely Sceilg Mhíchíl (Eng. ‘Skellig Michael’), a rocky island located off the coast of Co. Kerry, and Teampall na Sceilge (Eng. ‘Templenaskellig’) at Glendalough, Co. Wicklow. Both Skellig Michael and Glendalough are believed to have been founded by hermit saints in the 6th century AD.
There is no consensus regarding the etymology of sceilg (Vendryes, 1974). In this paper it will be argued that sceilg is a variant of speilg, another rare element in Irish place names with a complimentary, more northerly distribution, also denoting a rock feature, and that both are loans of Vulgar Latin spelu(n)ca, meaning ‘cave’ (sometimes a hermit’s dwelling) or ‘den’. Irish sceilg, as well as speilg, seems to have undergone a semantic shift, acquiring a more general sense of ‘rock, crag’. An earlier meaning ‘cave, hermitage’, closer to that of Latin spelunca, is only evident at the hermitage sites of Sceilg Mhíchíl and Teampall na Sceilge. In the latter case, the presence of a hermit’s cave, Leaba Chaoimhín (Eng. ‘Saint Kevin’s Bed’), in the immediate vicinity is particularly relevant. |
| format | Online |
| id | doab-20.500.12854ir-159832 |
| institution | Directory of Open Access Books |
| language | eng |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
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| publisher | Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego |
| publisherStr | Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego |
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| spelling | doab-20.500.12854ir-1598322025-05-19T10:44:09Z The Element sceilg in Irish Place-names – A Borrowing of Latin spelu(n)ca? Tempan, Paul Irish place-names Latin loan-words in Irish thema EDItEUR::C Language and Linguistics Modern Irish sceilg is defined as a ‘steep rock’ or ‘crag’ (Ó Dónaill, 1977). The Old Irish form is sceillec (Dictionary of the Irish Language, 1913–1976). It is rare and now chiefly known through a handful of toponyms but is of considerable importance due to its occurrence in names at two notable early Christian monastic sites, namely Sceilg Mhíchíl (Eng. ‘Skellig Michael’), a rocky island located off the coast of Co. Kerry, and Teampall na Sceilge (Eng. ‘Templenaskellig’) at Glendalough, Co. Wicklow. Both Skellig Michael and Glendalough are believed to have been founded by hermit saints in the 6th century AD. There is no consensus regarding the etymology of sceilg (Vendryes, 1974). In this paper it will be argued that sceilg is a variant of speilg, another rare element in Irish place names with a complimentary, more northerly distribution, also denoting a rock feature, and that both are loans of Vulgar Latin spelu(n)ca, meaning ‘cave’ (sometimes a hermit’s dwelling) or ‘den’. Irish sceilg, as well as speilg, seems to have undergone a semantic shift, acquiring a more general sense of ‘rock, crag’. An earlier meaning ‘cave, hermitage’, closer to that of Latin spelunca, is only evident at the hermitage sites of Sceilg Mhíchíl and Teampall na Sceilge. In the latter case, the presence of a hermit’s cave, Leaba Chaoimhín (Eng. ‘Saint Kevin’s Bed’), in the immediate vicinity is particularly relevant. 2025-05-19T10:44:06Z 2025-05-19T10:44:06Z 2023-12-21 chapter https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/159832 eng image/jpeg Attribution 4.0 International https://wuj.pl/ksiazka/onomastics-in-interaction-with-other-branches-of-science-volume-1#otwarty-dostep https://wuj.pl/the-element-sceilg-in-irish-place-names-a-borrowing-of-latin-spelu-n-ca Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego Onomastics in Interaction With Other Branches of Science. Volume 1. Keynote Lectures. Toponomastics 10.4467/K7501.45/22.23.18078 10.4467/K7501.45/22.23.18078 b56389e6-bd6e-43b9-abc7-9af91c5afc6b 7de802a3-610e-4023-bb20-ff814f7c94c9 583-602 open access |
| spellingShingle | Irish place-names Latin loan-words in Irish thema EDItEUR::C Language and Linguistics Tempan, Paul The Element sceilg in Irish Place-names – A Borrowing of Latin spelu(n)ca? |
| title | The Element sceilg in Irish Place-names – A Borrowing of Latin spelu(n)ca? |
| title_full | The Element sceilg in Irish Place-names – A Borrowing of Latin spelu(n)ca? |
| title_fullStr | The Element sceilg in Irish Place-names – A Borrowing of Latin spelu(n)ca? |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Element sceilg in Irish Place-names – A Borrowing of Latin spelu(n)ca? |
| title_short | The Element sceilg in Irish Place-names – A Borrowing of Latin spelu(n)ca? |
| title_sort | element sceilg in irish place names a borrowing of latin spelu n ca |
| topic | Irish place-names Latin loan-words in Irish thema EDItEUR::C Language and Linguistics |
| topic_facet | Irish place-names Latin loan-words in Irish thema EDItEUR::C Language and Linguistics |
| url | https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/159832 |
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