Bibliography

Mac Mathúna, Liam, “On the provenance of the Early Irish topographical lexicon”, in: Mícheál Ó Flaithearta (ed.), Proceedings of the Seventh Symposium of Societas Celtologica Nordica, Studia Celtica Upsaliensia, Uppsala: University of Uppsala, 2007. 33–52.

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Citation details

Contributors

Mac Mathúna (Liam)

Article

“On the provenance of the Early Irish topographical lexicon”

Work

Mícheál Ó Flaithearta (ed.), Proceedings of the Seventh Symposium of Societas Celtologica Nordica (2007)

Pages

33–52

Year

2007

BibTeX

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Online resources

Archive

resource: urn.kb.se

Description

Abstract (cited)

Drawing on a series of studies of the landscape vocabulary of the Old and Middle Irish periods, this paper considers the contributions of two analytical approaches to an examination of the provenance of the Early Irish topographical lexicon. On the one hand, it presents in summary form stratified evidence posited on the basis of etymological enquiry reaching back to Indo-European origins (e.g. Insular Celtic, Common Celtic, Western IE, IE root), complemented by the history of the form and meaning of words traceable within Irish texts. On the other hand, it examines recurring patterns of semantic development (e.g. the transfer of sense from a lexeme for a part of the human anatomy to application to a physical feature of the landscape). The evidence adduced is drawn from case studies from within the lexical field of the physical world in its broader aspects (in particular words for MOUNTAIN, VALLEY, PLAIN and WATER EXPANSE).

Subjects and topics

Headings

Irish language Old Irish Middle Irish

Approaches

lexicography

Keywords

placenames

“Lexical field studies in general”

“Inner-Irish derivatives”

“Conclusion”

web page identifiers

page name: Mac Mathúna 2007a