Hi Andy,
My name is Ian Morrison and I, too, have a photo-copy of Hew Morrison's transcription of the Durness OPR. I have been through it about a thousand times in the past ten years and have found it a treasure trove.
With regard to the patronymics, I have managed to figure out quite a few of them and , in fact, prepared a list for another board which I am now going to try to paste here:
In the Durness Parish Register, the ministers recorded aliases for many of their parishioners, using a phonetic approximation .
of the Gaelic names when the alias was a patronymic. These they tended to show as if it were one name although there
were often two or three names.
A bit of explanation may help when separating and deciphering these names. As most know, "mac" means son of "X". The
object,"X", in this situation a name, takes the genitive case. In Gaelic this frequently requires aspiration in the pronunciation and
a change in the vowel sound, with the insertion of an "i" after the vowel. Aspiration is indicated by an "h" after the consonant.
But these changes are not always obvious from the ministers' phonetic renderings. In a three-name patronymic,i.e. son of A,
son of B, son of C, the second and third "mac"also take the genitive case and change to "mhic", pronounced vic, often shortened
to " 'ic" .
Here is an example: John Morison alias macuilammachustianicachin. Separating out the macs and the 'ics, it becomes
mac Uilam mac Hustian 'ic Achin. The Gaelic equivalent, in the nominative case, is Uisdean (Hugh); Uilleam (William)
The following table lists the phonetic renderings that I have been able to figure out, I think.
Durness Phonetic Gaelic Nominative Imitated Pronunciation* English/Scots Equivalent
Alister Alasdair Allustir Alexander/Alistair
Dol/Dohil Domhnall Daw-ull Donald
Eorish Seoras/Sheoras (gen) Shawruss/Eoruss George
Ever Iomhair Ee-uh-var Ivor
Achin Eachann Euchunn Hector
Hustian Uisdean Oosh-jan Hugh
Emish (gen) Sheumas Hae-mush James
En Iain/Eoin Ee-an John/Iain/Ian
Cenich/Ceanich Coinneach Coen-yoch Kenneth
Neil Niall Nyeeull Neil
Rob Raibert/Rob Rabburt Robert
Rory/Rorie Ruairidh/Ruaraidh Roe-urree Roderick
Uillam Uilleam Ool-yam William
Unidentified Durness Phonetics
Nish - possibly Aonghas (Eun-eu-uss) for Angus
Omash - possibly Tomas/Thomas [gen] (Toe-mass/ 'Hoe-mass) for Thomas
Eric [F] - possibly Oighrig (Eu-eerick) for Effie or Euphemia or Henrietta or Harriet
Morachie - possibly Murchadh (Moorochugh) for Murdo
Ormaid - possibly Tormod (Torromot) for Norman
If anyone has any additions or corrections, they would be most welcome.
Well, the information is there but the columns did not work out correctly. oes anyone have any suggestions on how I might better display it?
In the meantime, going back to an earlier post, I think that "Nish" is Angus.
I have just read the eight pages of this thread and noticed amny familiar names, including some of my own ancestors. Being a modestly populated parish, there are quite a few inter-related families, including my own - I have two 4xGGs who are double ancestors.
I also have a copy of the Book of MacKay and The House and Clan of MacKay, which have been helpful in tracing descendants of the chiefs' line.
Ian
