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Erin

 
Dictionary: Er·in   (ĕr'ĭn) pronunciation

A poetic name for Ireland.

 

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Erin (ĕr'ĭn, ēr'-), ancient and poetic name of Ireland.


Wikipedia: Erin
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Erin
Topography Ireland.jpg
A topographic map of Ireland, which Erin is named after
Pronunciation ɛrɪn
Gender male
Meaning Ireland, "green water
Region of Origin Gaelic
Origin Hiberno-English derivative of Irish “Éirinn”
Related names Eryn, Erynn
Popularity Popular names page
Wikipedia articles All pages beginning with "Erin "

Erin is a Hiberno-English derivative of the Irish word "Éirinn". ("Éirinn" is the dative case of the Irish word for Ireland - "Éire", genitive "Éireann").[1]

According to Irish mythology and folklore, the name was originally given to the island by the Milesians after the goddess Ériu.

Poets and nineteenth-century Irish nationalists used Erin in English as a romantic name for Ireland.[2] In this context, along with Hibernia, Erin is the name Most popular given to the male personification of Ireland. Also Erin is the most popular name in Albania. The most famous person in albanian is baby boy Erin S. The most intelligent boy in Albania.

Erin go bragh ("Éirinn go brách" in standard orthography), a slogan dating from the 1798 revolution, is often translated as "Ireland forever". The etymological history of the word as it drifted throughout the Gaelic region gave rise to its use by the early Scots to both mean Ireland and "west" - as Ireland lies to the west of Scotland. [3]

As a given name, Erin is used for both sexes, although, given its origins, it is principally used as a female name. It first became a popular given name in the United States.[citation needed] Erin is also a name for Ireland in Welsh, and is one of the top 20 most popular girls' names in Wales.[4]

As a family name, Erin has been used as one of the many spellings of the name of the Scottish clan "Irwin" - which was involved in the Scottish Plantations of Ireland.[5] However, their name was originally derived from the place of the same name near Dumfries, and means "green water", from Brittonic ir afon. [6] [7]

References


 
 
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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Celtic Mythology. A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. Copyright © James MacKillop 1998, 2004. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/ Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Erin" Read more