Irish prefixes and the alphabetization of personal names

Cóil, Róisín Nic

doi:https://doi.org/10.3828/indexer.2011.25

Cóil, Róisín Nic

The Indexer: The International Journal of Indexing (2011), 29, (2), 0–5.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3828/indexer.2011.25
Language: English
Pages: 6

Abstract

Ireland is a bilingual nation and one of the earliest countries to evolve a system of hereditary surnames. ‘Mac’s and ‘O’s abound, but ‘Fitz’s and other prefixes as well. Surnames vary for men and women bearing the same family name; the prefix changes to Mhic, Nic, Uí or Ní. Further complications are created by transliteration and translation from Irish to English. Róisín Nic Cóil explores the problems this presents for alphabetization and some possible solutions.

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