Iverni

The Iverni (Ἰούερνοι, Iouernoi) were a people of early Ireland first mentioned in Ptolemy's 2nd century Geography as living in the extreme south-west of the island.^[1] He also locates a "city" called Ivernis (Ἰουερνίς, Iouernis) in their territory, and observes that this settlement has the same name as the island as a whole, Ivernia (Ἰουερνία, Iouernia).^[2] It was probably once the name given to all the peoples of Ireland, but by Ptolemy's time had a more restricted usage applicable to the inhabitants of the south-west. These Iverni can be identified linguistically with the Érainn (Éraind, Érnai, Érna),^[3] a people attested in Munster and elsewhere in the early Middle Ages.

The prehistoric Érainn royal dynasties are sometimes referred to as the Dáirine.^[4]^[5]

Etymology

The name Iverni has been derived from

Proto-Celtic *Φīwerjon- and further from Proto-Indo-European *piHwerjon- (the fertile land), which is cognate with the Ancient Greek píeira and Sanskrit pīvara, which refer to fertile land. John T. Koch writes it was probably once the name given to all the peoples of Ireland, but by Ptolemy's time had a more restricted usage applicable to the inhabitants of the south-west.^[6]

Historical septs

In early Irish genealogical tracts the Érainn are regarded as an ethnic group, distinct from the

Déisi Muman

may also have had Érainn origins, but this has long been disputed.

Dáire: Darini, Dáirine

It seems likely the Iverni were related to the Darini of eastern Ulster.^[11] The name "Darini" implies descent from an ancestor called Dáire, (*Dārios)^[3] as claimed by several historical peoples identified as Érainn, including the Dál Riata and Dál Fiatach in eastern Ulster^[12] as well as the Érainn of Munster. An early name for Dundrum, County Down, is recorded as Dún Droma Dáirine, and the name Dáirine was applied to the Corcu Loígde, further suggesting a relationship between the Darini and the Iverni.^[3]

Érainn: Clanna Dedad

The genealogies trace the descent of the Érainn from two separate eponymous ancestors, Ailill Érann and

Cland Dedad (offspring of Deda mac Sin), a Munster people who appear in the Ulster Cycle, led by Cú Roí, son of Dáire mac Dedad, and the legendary High King Conaire Mór, grandson of Iar and ancestor of the Síl Conairi. The historical sept of the Uí Maicc Iair ("grandsons of the son of Iar") and the MAQI IARI of ogham inscriptions also appear to be related.^[13] The personal name Iar is simply another variant of the root present in Iverni and Érainn.^[14] Finally, the name Íth, given in the genealogies as the ultimate ancestor of the Corcu Loígde (Dáirine) and offering some confusion about their parentage and relation to the Iverni, in fact preserves the same Indo-European root *peiH- ("to be fat, swell"),^[15]

thus in effect completing a basic picture of the Iverni/Érainn and their kindred in later historical Ireland.

O'Rahilly's theory

Ivernic is a hypothetical language proposed by

P-Celtic (probably Brittonic) language spoken in Ireland before Old Irish. He suggested this language was spoken by the Iverni, and that they invaded Ireland from Britain, bringing with them the language. O'Rahilly identifies two words recorded in the Sanas Cormaic as coming from Ivernic: ond ("stone") and fern ("anything good").^[16]

His theory has been refuted and is not widely accepted by experts.

Archaic Irish are most plentiful in southwestern Ireland, the territory of the Iverni.^[20]

References

^ Ptolemy. Geography. 2.2.6 (ed. K. Müller [Paris 1883–1901])
^ Ptol. Geog. 2.2.9; 8.3.4
^ ^a ^b ^c O'Rahilly, T. F. (1946), Early Irish History and Mythology, Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
^ DIL Letter: D1 (D-Degóir), Columns 35 and 36
^ O'Rahilly, pp. 7, 189
^ John T. Koch, Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia, ABC-CLIO, 2005, p.709
^ Charles Doherty, "Érainn", in Seán Duffy (ed.), Medieval Ireland: an encyclopedia, 2005, CRC Press, pp. 156–157
^ John V. Kelleher, "The Rise of the Dál Cais", in Étienne Rynne (ed.), North Munster Studies: Essays in Commemoration of Monsignor Michael Moloney. Limerick: Thomond Archaeological Society. 1967. pp. 230–41.
^ Gearóid Mac Niocaill, Ireland before the Vikings. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan. 1972.
^ Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, "Ireland, 400–800", in Dáibhí Ó Cróinín (ed.), A New History of Ireland (Volume 1): Prehistoric and Early Ireland. Oxford University Press. 2005. p. 222
^ for extensive discussion, see Julius Pokorny. "Beiträge zur ältesten Geschichte Irlands (3. Érainn, Dári(n)ne und die Iverni und Darini des Ptolomäus)", in Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie 12 (1918): 323–57.
^ Donnchadh Ó Corráin, "Prehistoric and Early Christian Ireland", in R. F. Foster (ed.), The Oxford Illustrated History of Ireland, Oxford University Press, 2001
^ Eoin MacNeill, "Early Irish Population Groups: their nomenclature, classification and chronology", Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (C) 29, 1911, pp. 59–114
^ MacNeill 1911
^ John T. Koch. "Ériu", in John T. Koch (ed.). Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. 2006. pp. 709–18
^ O'Rahilly, T. F. (1946), Early Irish History and Mythology, Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
^ Koch, John T. Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO, 2006. p.750
^ Martin Ball and James Fife. The Celtic Languages. Psychology Press, 1993. p.75
^ MacEoin, Gearóid. "What language was spoken in Ireland before Irish?", in The Celtic Languages in Contact. Potsdam University Press, 2007. p.116
^ John T. Koch, "Ériu, Alba and Letha: When was a Language Ancestral to Gaelic First Spoken in Ireland?", Emania 9, 1991, pp. 17–27

Bibliography

Herm, Gerhard (2002), The Celts, Ireland: St. Martin's Press,
ISBN 0-312-31343-8

Quiggin, Edmund (1911). "Ireland § Early History" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 14 (11th ed.). p. 757.
J.-J. Tierney, The Greek geographic tradition and Ptolemy's evidence for Irish geography, in RIA Proc., Ixxxvi (1976) sect.C, pp. 257–265
Theodore William Moody, A New History of Ireland, p. 140, Oxford University Press, 1976
Nora Kershaw Chadwick, The Celts, Pelican Books, 1970
C. Thomas Cairney, Clans and Families of Ireland and Scotland, An Ethnography of the Gael, AD 500 – 1750, McFarland & Company Inc, Publishers
ISBN 0-89950-362-4

T. F. O'Rahilly, Irish Dialects, Past and Present, 1932

T. F. O'Rahilly, The Goidals and Their Predecessors, London, The British Academy, 1935

C. F. C. Hawkes, Pytheas: Europe and the Greek Explorers, Oxford University Press, 1977

John Haywood, Atlas historique des Celtes, trad. Colette Stévanovitch, éditions Autrement, coll. Atlas/Mémoires, Paris, 2002,
ISBN 2-7467-0187-1
.

Byrne, Francis John, Irish Kings and High-Kings. Batsford, London, 1973
ISBN 0-7134-5882-8

Duffy, Seán (ed.), Atlas of Irish History. Gill & Macmillan, Dublin, 2nd edn, 2000
ISBN 0-7171-3093-2

Nora Chadwick, The Celts, Pelican Books, 1971

C. Thomas. Cairney, Clans and Families of Ireland and Scotland – An Ethnography of the Gael AD 500–1750, Willow Bend Books, 1989.

ISBN 978-0-521-84811-4

T. M. Charles-Edwards, Early Christian Ireland, Cambridge University Press, 2000,
ISBN 978-0-521-36395-2

ISBN 0-500-27983-7

ISBN 0-521-83862-2

John Koch, Common Ground and Progress on the Celtic of the south-western (s.w.) inscriptions , Canolfan Uwchefrydiau Cymrieg a cheltaidd Prifysgol Cymru, 2019

[1] Ptolemy. Geography. 2.2.6 (ed. K. Müller [Paris 1883–1901])

[2] Ptol. Geog. 2.2.9; 8.3.4

[OR-3] O'Rahilly, T. F. (1946), Early Irish History and Mythology, Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies

[4] DIL Letter: D1 (D-Degóir), Columns 35 and 36

[5] O'Rahilly, pp. 7, 189

[6] John T. Koch, Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia, ABC-CLIO, 2005, p.709

[7] Charles Doherty, "Érainn", in Seán Duffy (ed.), Medieval Ireland: an encyclopedia, 2005, CRC Press, pp. 156–157

[8] John V. Kelleher, "The Rise of the Dál Cais", in Étienne Rynne (ed.), North Munster Studies: Essays in Commemoration of Monsignor Michael Moloney. Limerick: Thomond Archaeological Society. 1967. pp. 230–41.

[9] Gearóid Mac Niocaill, Ireland before the Vikings. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan. 1972.

[10] Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, "Ireland, 400–800", in Dáibhí Ó Cróinín (ed.), A New History of Ireland (Volume 1): Prehistoric and Early Ireland. Oxford University Press. 2005. p. 222

[11] r extensive discussion, see Julius Pokorny. "Beiträge zur ältesten Geschichte Irlands (3. Érainn, Dári(n)ne und die Iverni und Darini des Ptolomäus)", in Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie 12 (1918): 323–57.

[12] Donnchadh Ó Corráin, "Prehistoric and Early Christian Ireland", in R. F. Foster (ed.), The Oxford Illustrated History of Ireland, Oxford University Press, 2001

[13] Eoin MacNeill, "Early Irish Population Groups: their nomenclature, classification and chronology", Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (C) 29, 1911, pp. 59–114

[14] MacNeill 1911

[15] John T. Koch. "Ériu", in John T. Koch (ed.). Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. 2006. pp. 709–18

[16] O'Rahilly, T. F. (1946), Early Irish History and Mythology, Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies

[17] Koch, John T. Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO, 2006. p.750

[18] Martin Ball and James Fife. The Celtic Languages. Psychology Press, 1993. p.75

[19] MacEoin, Gearóid. "What language was spoken in Ireland before Irish?", in The Celtic Languages in Contact. Potsdam University Press, 2007. p.116

[20] John T. Koch, "Ériu, Alba and Letha: When was a Language Ancestral to Gaelic First Spoken in Ireland?", Emania 9, 1991, pp. 17–27

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v t e Ptolemy's Ireland
Peoples	Auteini Brigantes Cauci Coriondi Darini Eblani Erdini Gangani Iverni Manapii Nagnatae Robogdii Uellabori Uennicnii Uodiae Uoluntii
Towns	Dunon Eblana Iuernis Labiros Makolikon Manapia Nagnata Raiba Regia Regia Etera
Rivers	Argita Auoba Birgos Buuinda Dabrona Dur Iernos Libnios Logia Modonnos Oboka Rauios Senos Uidua Uinderios
Promontories	Isamnion Northern Robogdion Sacron Southern Uennicnion
Islands	Adros Ebuda Epidion Erimnos Limnos Malaios Mona Monaoida Rikina

v t e Royal houses of Britain and Ireland
England	Mercia Wuffing Kent Sussex Essex Bernicia Deira Northumbria Uí Ímair Wessex Knýtlinga Godwin Normandy Blois Plantagenet Angevin Lancaster York Tudor Stuart
Scotland	Fergus Óengus Strathclyde Mann and the Isles Alpin Northumbria Bernicia Uí Ímair Galloway Dunkeld Moray Sverre Balliol Bruce Stewart Somhairle
Wales	Aberffraw Cunedda Dinefwr Gwynedd Mathrafal Tudor
Ireland	Ulaid Dál Riata Érainn Corcu Loígde Laigin Connachta Uí Néill Ó Gallchobhair Ó Domhnail Ó Néill Ó Máel Sechlainn Mac Murchada Ó Briain Mac Lochlainn Ó Conchobhair
Gaelic Ireland	Laigin Síl Conairi Ulaid Dáirine Osraige Cruthin Dál nAraidi Connachta Uí Fiachrach Uí Briúin Uí Néill Síl nÁedo Sláine Clann Cholmáin Eóganachta Chaisil Glendamnach Raithlind Uí Dúnlainge Uí Ímair (Norse) Uí Ceinnselaig Dalcassians Ó Briain Mac Carthaig Ó Conchobhair Ó Ruairc Burgh (Norman) FitzGerald (Norman) Ó Domhnaill Ó Néill
Great Britain	Stuart Orange-Nassau Hanover Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Windsor
Isle of Man	Uí Ímair Crovan Somhairle