Hierarchy
county
barony
civil parish
townland
Hierarchy
county
barony
civil parish
Explanatory note
- Gaeilge
malodorous head, hilltop?
Mheas Joyce gur foirm dhíspeagtha den fhocal bruíon “palace, fairy fort” atá anseo .i. mar a bheadh *bruíoncán ann (‘little bruighean [brien], or fairy fort’ Irish Names of Places II 32). Ní dóigh linn go bhfuil dealramh leis an sanas seo.
Níl againn de thagairtí stairiúla roimh an Ainmleabhar ach ‘Bryancan’ ar léarscáil eastáit. Leid atá ansin ar dhéfhoghar sa chéad siolla, b’fhéidir (.i. */briən-/), agus más ea d’fhéadfaí an aidiacht bréan- “malodorous, stinking” a mheas. Tá an défhoghrú seo -éa- > -ia- coitianta go leor i Leath Mhogha dar ndóigh, m.sh. 1542 ‘Bryanyr’, 1576 ‘Bryenermore’ = bf Bréanair Mór (#47391) (TÁ 71, 78); díol spéise na foirmeacha stairiúla 1660c. ‘Bryan Litter’, 1835 ‘Brienletter’, ‘brian litir’ pl:AL = bf Bréanleitir (#40433) (Mu 14) i nDeisceart Uladh. Tá cnoc beag (167m) i bf Briencan, ach cé gur ann do bréan-+ ‘talamh ard’ i logainmneacha ar nós Bréandroim, Bréanleitir, Bréanros ní heol dúinn aon sampla eile de *Bréancheann. Is cosúil freisin gur tharla athrú ar an bpátrún béime sa chaint — is cosúil gur comhartha béime, seachas faide, atá san fhoirm pheann luaidhe 1837 ‘Briencán’ pl:AL, agus is ar an siolla deiridh atá béim an ghutha in 2010 /briːnˈkan/ Áit.
Is éadoigh linn gur logainm comhshuite oscailte atá anseo, m.sh. dar céadeilimint bruíon “palace, fairy fort”. Bheadh cuma neamhghnách ar *Bruíon C(h)eann, b’fhéidir, cé go gcastar le gin. iol. ceann “of (the) heads” mar cháilitheoir i logainmneacha eile (agus láthair chatha nó áir faoi thagairt aige ar uairibh, is dócha), m.sh. bf Cluain Ceann (#35149) (ME 100, 110), id Loch Ceann (#47768) (TÁ 19). Níl ach corrshampla de bruíon mar aicmitheoir i logainmneacha riaracháin na tíre (m.sh. par Bruíonaigh (#525) (Co 96); bf Na Bruíne (#8493) (Co 105, 106); id Na Bruíonacha (#1412916) (DG 52, 60); tr Bruíon Chorrach (Sl)).
Tá cnoc beag eile (183m) díreach taobh thoir de seo i bf Broimlinn/Brumlin (#25634), q.v.
Centrepoint
Historical references
1828 |
Bryancan
|
Longfield: Baronies (CD) 21 F. 35 Leathanach: 21F35(52)
|
1837 |
Briencan
|
BS:AL Leathanach: 1,5
|
1837 |
Briencan
|
Kelly, R.:AL Leathanach: 1,5
|
1837 |
Briencan
|
Manning, W.:AL Leathanach: 1,5
|
1837 |
Briencan
|
Bradley, J.:AL Leathanach: 1,5
|
1837 |
Briencán
|
pl:AL Leathanach: 1,5
|
1837 |
Briencan
|
OD:AL Leathanach: 1,5
|
2009-2010 |
briːnˈkan
|
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