Tadhg
| Pronunciation | English: Pet form(s) Taidhgín | |
|---|---|---|
| Cognate(s) | Teague, Taig, Taigue |
Tadhg (/taɪɡ/ TYGHE, Irish: [t̪ˠəiɡ, t̪ˠeːɡ]),[1][2] commonly anglicized as "Taig" or "Teague",[3][4][5][6] is an Irish and Scottish Gaelic masculine name that was very common when the Goidelic languages predominated, to the extent that it is a synecdoche for Irish-speaking man. The name signifies "poet" or "philosopher". This was also the name of many Gaelic Irish kings from the 10th to the 16th centuries, particularly in Connacht and Munster. Tadhg is most common in southwest Ireland, particularly in County Cork and County Kerry. The name has had a surge in popularity in the early 21st century;[7] As of 2000 it was the 92nd most common name for baby boys in Ireland, according to the Central Statistics Office, rising to 69th by 2005.[8] By 2022, it had risen to the 7th most common name for newly registered male births.[9]
Etymology
The commonly accepted meaning of Tadhg is "poet"[10] or "storyteller". The ultimate derivation is from the Celtic *tazg(j)o-,[citation needed] who were poets in early Celtic society. In any case, the name is widely attested in Gaulish and early British names.
When the whole of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom, many Irish names and place-names were given English meanings. Due to similarity in sound, Tadhg is often listed as an Irish equivalent of the English-language names
The name is also spelled "Taḋg" in
Synecdoche
Tadhg is also a
The anglicisation Taig (and formerly Teague) has been used in English since the seventeenth century to refer to Irishmen. The Irish-language name is used defiantly in a Jacobite poem written in the 1690s:
Original[13] Translation "You Popishrogue", ní leomhaid a labhairt sinn"You Popish rogue" is not spoken acht "Cromwellian dog" is focal faire againn but "Cromwellian dog" is our watchword, nó "cia sud thall" go teann gan eagla "Who goes there" does not provoke fear, "Mise Tadhg" géadh teinn an t-agallamh "I am Tadhg" is the answer given
Taig in the Troubles in Northern Ireland was used as an abusive and pejorative term by Protestant loyalists to refer to Catholic nationalists.[12]
People with the name
Traditional
- Fionn mac Cumhail
- Tadhg Ó Cuinn (fl. October 1415), Irish scribe and author
Gaelic nobility
- king of Connacht
- Tadg mac Cathail (died 956), king of Connacht
- king of Ailech
- king of Uí Díarmata
- king of Uí Maine
- king of Munster
- Tadg in Eich Gil (died 1030), king of Connacht
- king of Moylurg
- Tadg mac Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair (died 1097), king of Connacht
- king of Desmond
- Tadhg Mor mac Maelruanaidh (died 1124), king of Moylurg
- Tadhg Ua Cellaigh (abducted 1145), king of Uí Maine
- Teige Ua Con Ceannainn (fl. 1152), king of Uí Díarmata
- Tadg Gláe macDiarmata Ó Briain(died 1154), claimed king of Desmond
- Tadhg Cael Uisce Ó Briain (died 1269), tanist of Thomond
- Tadhg mac Diarmata (died 1281), king of Moylurg
- Tadhg Ó Cellaigh (died 1316), king of Uí Maine
- Tadhg Óg Ó Cellaigh (died 1340), king of Uí Maine
- king of West Breifne
- Tadhg Ruadh Ó Cellaigh (died 1410), king of Uí Maine
- Tadhg na Mainistreach Mac Carthaigh Mór (died 1428), king of Desmond
- king of Ui Fiachrach Muaidhe
- Tadhg mac Tigernán Mór Ó Ruairc (died 1435), king of West Breifne
- king of Thomond
- Tadhg an Chomhaid Ó Briain (died 1466), king of Thomond
- king of Umaill
- Tadhg Caech Ó Cellaigh (abdicated 1476), king of Uí Maine
- Tadhg mac Diarmata (died 1499), king of Moylurg
- Tadhg Liath Mac Carthaigh Mór (died 1503), king of Desmond
- Tadhg na Leamhna Mac Cárthaigh (died 1514), claimed king of Desmond
- king of Mide
- Tadhg mac Brian Ballach Ó Ruairc (died 1560), king of West Breifne
- Tadhg mac Diarmata (died 1585), king of Moylurg
- Tadhg mac Briain na Murtha Ó Ruairc (died 1605), king of West Breifne
Recent
- Tadhg Cooke, Irish contemporary musician
- Gaelic League
- Tadhg Furlong (born 1992), Irish rugby player
- Tadhg Kennelly (born 1981), Gaelic and Australian Rules footballer
- Tadhg Dall Ó hÚigínn(1550–1591), Irish poet murdered allegedly for writing a satirical poem which insulted a rival aristocratic family
- Tadhg Purcell (born 1985), Irish soccer player
- George MacDonald Fraser's 1977 novel Flashman's Lady features the comic character Daedalus Tighe, and John B. Keane's 1965 play The Field, has a character named Tadhg McCabe.[14][15]
See also
References
- ^ "Teague, Taig". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.) (pronunciations given for the name Tadhg separately from those for the slang/pejorative Teague.)
- ^ "Page:Quiggin Dialect of Donegal 0030.png - Wikisource, the free online library". en.wikisource.org. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
- ISBN 978-0-7546-5175-8. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
- ISBN 978-1-85635-214-7. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-7416-5. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
- ISBN 978-1-58112-893-2. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
- ^ Ó Séaghdha, Darach (3 March 2022). "The Irish For: The rise of Rían - the latest baby names in Ireland". thejournal.ie. The Journal. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
- ^ "Irish Babies' Names 2005" (PDF). cso.ie. Central Statistics Office. 16 June 2006. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ "Irish Babies' Names 2022". cso.ie. Central Statistics Office. 24 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ISBN 0-19-211647-9, entry for "Tadhg"
- ^ "Behind the Name: Tadhg, the Irish boy's name going international". rollercoaster.ie. 5 February 2024. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
The most common spelling these days is Tadhg, but it can be written as Tadgh or Tadg.
- ^ a b A Way With Words (6 May 2004), Taig
- ^ Céad buidhe re Dia ("A hundred thanks to God") by Diarmaid Mac Cárthaigh
- ISBN 978-0-00-744949-1.
- ISBN 978-0-7190-5270-5.
External links
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