Eithne
Encyclopedia
Eithne is a popular Irish
female name meaning 'little fire' and is borne by a variety of historical and legendary figures, including:
Other spellings and earlier forms include: Ethnea, Ethlend, Ethnen, Ethlenn, Ethnenn, Eithene, Ethne, Aithne, Enya, Áine
(sometimes a separate name), Ena, Edna, Etney, Eithnenn, Eithlenn, Eithna, Ethni, Edlend, Edlenn.
Eithne is considered by some sources to be the feminine cognate
of the name Aidan.
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
female name meaning 'little fire' and is borne by a variety of historical and legendary figures, including:
Medieval
- EthniuEthniuIn Irish mythology, Ethniu or Eithne ; also Ethliu, Ethlinn, and a variety of other spellings – see below) is the daughter of the Fomorian leader Balor, and the mother of Lugh....
, daughter of BalorBalorIn Irish mythology, Balor of the Evil Eye was a king of the Fomorians, a race of giants. His father was Buarainech and his wife was Cethlenn...
and mother of LugLughLug or Lugh is an Irish deity represented in mythological texts as a hero and High King of the distant past. He is known by the epithets Lámhfhada , for his skill with a spear or sling, Ildánach , Samhildánach , Lonnbeimnech and Macnia , and by the...
in Irish mythology - Eithne, daughter of the king of Alba, wife of the High King Fiacha FinnfolaidhFiacha FinnfolaidhFiacha Finnolach, son of Feradach Finnfechtnach, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He took power after killing his predecessor, Fíatach Finn...
and mother of Tuathal TeachtmharTuathal TeachtmharTúathal Techtmar , son of Fíachu Finnolach, was a High King of Ireland, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition. He is said to be the ancestor of the Uí Néill and Connachta dynasties through his grandson Conn of the Hundred Battles... - Eithne, the mother of Saint ColumbaSaint Columba-Saints:* Columba , Irish Christian saint who evangelized Scotland* Columba the Virgin, also known as Saint Columba of Cornwall* Columba of Sens* Columba of Spain* Columba of Terryglass* Sancta Columba -Schools:...
- Eithne and Sodelb, Leinster saints
Modern
- EnyaEnyaEnya is an Irish singer, instrumentalist and songwriter. Enya is an approximate transliteration of how Eithne is pronounced in the Donegal dialect of the Irish language, her native tongue.She began her musical career in 1980, when she briefly joined her family band Clannad before leaving to...
(Eithne Ní Bhraonáin), musician - Eithne FarryEithne FarryEithne Farry is British book reviewer and the former literary editor of ELLE, she is the author of "Yeah, I Made it Myself" subtitled "DIY fashion for the not very domestic goddess"...
, former literary editor of Elle - Eithne FitzgeraldEithne FitzGeraldEithne FitzGerald is an Irish economist and former Labour Party politician.She was elected in the 1992 general election to the 27th Dáil, as Teachta Dála for Dublin South. Her tally of first preference votes was the greatest number that any candidate in the country received on that occasion...
, Irish economist and former Labour Party politician. - LÉ Eithne (P31)LÉ Eithne (P31)LÉ Eithne is an Eithne class ship in the Irish Naval Service. The ship is named after Eithne, a tragic heroine and the daughter of the one-eyed Fomorian King, Balor in an early Irish romantic tale....
, a ship in the Irish Naval Service - Eithne Walls, a physician and former dancer, who danced with the popular RiverdanceRiverdanceRiverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish stepdancing, notable for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary. It originated as an interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, a moment that is still considered a significant...
group on Broadway, died on the Air France Flight 447Air France Flight 447Air France Flight 447 was a scheduled airline flight from Rio de Janeiro-Galeão to Paris-Roissy involving an Airbus A330-200 aircraft that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on 1 June 2009, killing all 216 passengers and 12 aircrew. The investigation is still ongoing, and the cause of the...
crash on June 1, 2009.
Other spellings and earlier forms include: Ethnea, Ethlend, Ethnen, Ethlenn, Ethnenn, Eithene, Ethne, Aithne, Enya, Áine
Áine
Áine is an Irish goddess of love, summer, wealth and sovereignty. She is associated with the sun and midsummer, and is sometimes represented by a red mare. She is the daughter of Egobail, the sister of Aillen and/or Fennen, and is claimed as an ancestor by multiple Irish clans...
(sometimes a separate name), Ena, Edna, Etney, Eithnenn, Eithlenn, Eithna, Ethni, Edlend, Edlenn.
Eithne is considered by some sources to be the feminine cognate
Cognate
In linguistics, cognates are words that have a common etymological origin. This learned term derives from the Latin cognatus . Cognates within the same language are called doublets. Strictly speaking, loanwords from another language are usually not meant by the term, e.g...
of the name Aidan.