English
McMurtry
McMurtry comes from Scottish Gaelic Mac Muircheartaigh ‘son of Muircheartach’, from muir ‘sea’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *móri.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*móri‘sea’reconstructed
- Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*mori‘sea’reconstructed
- Old Irishc. 600–900muir‘sea’
- Scottish Gaelicmodernsame form‘sea’
- Scottish Gaelic, derivedmodernMac Muircheartaigh‘son of Muircheartach’
- EnglishtodayMcMurtry
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*móri‘sea’reconstructed
- Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*mori‘sea’reconstructed
- Old Irishc. 600–900muir‘sea’
- Scottish Gaelicmodernsame form‘sea’
- Scottish Gaelic, derivedmodernMac Muircheartaigh‘son of Muircheartach’
- EnglishtodayMcMurtry
The story
Anglicized form of Northern Irish and Scottish Gaelic Mac Muircheartaigh (‘son of Muircheartach’), a personal name composed of the elements muir (‘sea’) + ceartach (‘ruler’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *mer- ‘sea, lake, wetland’
remember, murder, nightmare, maritime, submarine, mortality, mortal, mortar, mara, morbid, muller, morn, mariner, mort, ambrosia, marshy, moribund, marinara, cormorant, 59 more
through Proto-Indo-European *móri ‘sea’
march, marine, mere, marsh, mare, moor, marinate, maar, 17 more
Today it means
name A surname.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *móri / McMurtry