Etymograph

English

McCartney

McCartney comes from Scottish Gaelic mac ‘son’, from Old Irish art ‘bear’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ŕ̥tḱos.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ŕ̥tḱos‘bear’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*artos‘bear (mammal)’reconstructed
  3. Old Irishc. 600–900art‘bear’
  4. Scottish Gaelicmodernmac‘son’
  5. Scottish Gaelic, derivedmodernMac Artaineliterally ‘son of Artan’
  6. EnglishtodayMcCartney

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₂ŕ̥tḱos‘bear’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*artos‘bear (mammal)’reconstructed
  3. Old Irishc. 600–900art‘bear’
  4. Scottish Gaelicmodernmac‘son’
  5. Scottish Gaelic, derivedmodernMac Artaineliterally ‘son of Artan’
  6. EnglishtodayMcCartney

The story

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Mac Artaine (literally “son of Artan”), from mac (‘son’) + Artan, a diminutive of the name Art, from Old Irish art (‘bear’).

Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ŕ̥tḱos

Today it means

name An Irish surname from Scottish Gaelic, notably of Sir Paul McCartney (b. 1942), one of the Beatles.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₂ŕ̥tḱos / McCartney

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