Welcome to The Hairy Bear: The Witcher Off-Topic [Archived]

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I'm glad to see the return of alcohol and beer in TW3, but why does Geralt get drunk so easily?

Drinking, fun, have fun drinking!

Now this game post belongs here.
 
The origin of the name is obscure, and disputed by people who like to dispute these things. "Mc" or "Mac" is of course "son of", and the root is most likely either "Gilean" or "Lung". If it's "Macgilean", then something like "son of the servant of Saint John", and it if's "Maclung", then something like "son of a longship" (that is, a Viking).

MacLysachts "Surnames of Ireland" ( 1978 ) provides information somewhat different from 'net search results, thought I'd post verbatim the ones I think apply.

(Mac) Clung: MacClung & MacClurg are two Scottish names found in Ireland for which Woulfe gives Mac Luinne and Mac Luirg. Black, however, an authority an Scottish names, gives Mac Luinge (long, ship) and Mac an Chléirigh (cléireach, clerk).

(Mac) Clure: MacClure in Ulster is mainly a Scottish name, numerous in Galloway to which location it probably originally came from Ireland, the Gaelic form being basically the same as that for MacAleer.

(Mac) Clurg: See under MacClung.

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Long: Ó Longaigh. Numerous in Munster & Donegal, this may be de Long (Norman); Long (English), or Ó Longáin.

(O) Longan: Ó Longáin. A Limerick co-arb family notable as scribes, much confused with Ó Longaigh. (The basic word is believed to be long, tall, not long, ship).

Lynch: Ó Loingsigh. This is of dual origin. The Norman de Lench[/] predominant among the 'Tribes of Galway'. The Gaelic Ó Loingsigh (loingseach, mariner) giving Lynch & Lynchy, is the name of several small but distinct septs, in Antrim-Down, Cavan, Clare, Cork & Tipperary.

Any particular Irish surname will generally have one source but many derivations, sometimes seemingly nonsensical errors have crept in to many of them over the years, from translation to English through the wrong language like Latin (and back again to the wrong Gaelic name), through transcription errors especially when migrating and dealing with someone unfamiliar with the language or script (e.g. gaelic script 'r' can look like 'n', and 'g' at the end of a word is often a 'y' sound), to even reversing the sequence of letters to form a new name. So trust me, anythings possible spelling-wise. Clan & family names were chosen usually based on an illustrious common grandfathers given name or epithet and a first-come-first-served etiquette appears to have been in place, only suspended by the Sea, i.e. duplication of an existing Irish name by a new Scottish clan was acceptable, and is generally - but not always - considered an acknowledgement of existing genealogical ties with the originals broader kindred. Some Irish names arose distinctly in a few places just to be an exception to the rule. Yes, Murphy is one of them.

MacLysacht knows all this though and anything included in his book has been prechecked for merit. He points out in his intro that Woulfe is better if the name arises in Ireland though warns that he took the aforementioned "anythings possible" a little too far at times; Black is better if the source is Scotland, but unfortunately he doesn't detail his reasoning in supporting these suggestions.

If I could presume a lot of its based on the 'ng', extremely rare at the end of words in gaelic, in fact it may be this is the single instance of it having the sound it has here, but be in no doubt this is a Gaelic name. The possible variations of 'n/r' & 'g/y', look very much like the reasons behind Woulfe's suggestions, while Black's less so unless that's why 'MacClery', though i'd want to track down and be sure that a man of his rep didn't have other information regarding such a name in Galloway.

I've included MacClure because the 'g/y' could also result in a final 'e' sound, here silent, and since they are Galloway too I'm surprised this hasn't been given more consideration. ("Hello ! My names Guy McClure, you may know me from such informative broadcasts as "When upgrades go Bad" & "Spoiler Alert ! How to make Trolls soil themselves.")

The confusion over the last two letters is also why 'net sources bring in all kinds of name like Clooney. I think you can disregard everything apart from whats suggested in the 2 main ones above. I have included the L-names because if the name was to mean Longship or such, it seems to me Loingsigh would be a phonetically similar synonym in wide use already, and Lynch is one of those multi-use clan names.

Oh and Woulfes assertion of Mac Luirg (Loirg, track / mark; a rearguard; fallow (land); search for) is intriguing. Presumably he thinks they may be related to the Fir Lurg tribe of St. Dallán.

While I was perusing indices I stumbled on this from "Our Ancestors: Scots, Picts, & Cymry and what their Traditions tell us" by Robert craig MacLagan, and I don't yet know what to make of this book, but in the entry for Galloway he details a load of medieval drinks & their primary ingredients in the various Celtic languages, before finishing:

... and we propose as the explanation of the term Galwegian (person from Galloway) as "mead-drinking Gael", their mead being, however, a mulsum of whey. Scots and Picts we have already defined. They were probably as little distinguishable as a Galloway man at this present moment is from an Ayrshire man. But the Galloway men claimed the front rank in the Scottish army at the Battle of the Standard ( 1138 ), and as "Gal" = Gael, they used the same description as a Highlander would at the ppresent day, calling themselves Gael and inhabitants of Alba. They were mulsum-drinking Scots.

Och aye my memory of McClung was of an old friend of my Ma's, Josephine, swam at the Olympics 50 years ago. She was from the bottom of the Shankill, my Mammy from bottom of the Falls, 100 meters away, different worlds, same ilk (my Ma's great grandfather converted from Presbyterian to Catholic when the Penal law repeal didn't go far enough. Epitome of Presbyterian rebellion & solidarity?).

 
Let's get back to normal shall we? Cats with their owners anyone?

 

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Well, it seems like it's going to be a rough summer for me.

June is full of exams. I finish on the 3rd of July.

And then there's another exam period starting in September.

I decided that I'll stay where I am, and not return home this time. That means no Witcher 3 for me, indefinitely. No summer vacation either. Maybe I'll take a 1 week break and drive around the Balkans.

I don't know.
 

My word, that is a wrinkled cat! Rather looks as though it's brooding on diabolical revenge for some grave offence. Either that, or it was woken rudely from a nap by some joker with a camera. . . .

In any case, happy birthday,
wichat
! Best wishes -- wrinkles and all! (Most of us get them from having fun, or worrying. But I hope you've had more fun than worries!)

Here are a few mediaeval lynx cats, having a jolly time:



(Livre de la chasse, ca. 1407, Gaston Phoebus.)
 
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The Witcher 3 forum is a fucking mess...I used search option for the first time since joined this community :D

@wichat , Happy birthday! Fringilla and me wish you all the best...:cheers2:
 
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