Etymograph

English

McSkean

McSkean comes from Irish Mac Sceacháin ‘son of Sceachán’, from sceach ‘briar, thornbush’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *skwey-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*skwey-‘thorn, needle, prickle’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*skʷiyats‘hawthorn’reconstructed
  3. Old Irishc. 600–900scé‘thornbush, whitethorn’
  4. Irishc. 1200–presentsceach‘briar, thornbush’
  5. Irish, derivedc. 1200–presentMac Sceacháin‘son of Sceachán’
  6. EnglishtodayMcSkean

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*skwey-‘thorn, needle, prickle’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*skʷiyats‘hawthorn’reconstructed
  3. Old Irishc. 600–900scé‘thornbush, whitethorn’
  4. Irishc. 1200–presentsceach‘briar, thornbush’
  5. Irish, derivedc. 1200–presentMac Sceacháin‘son of Sceachán’
  6. EnglishtodayMcSkean

The story

Anglicized form of Irish Mac Sceacháin (‘son of Sceachán’), a personal name from a diminutive of sceach (‘briar, thornbush’).

Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *skwey-

Today it means

name A surname from Scottish Gaelic.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *skwey- / McSkean

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