Pelagius is taken from the Monk Pelagius (probably Welsh or Irish), whose family name was Morgan[1] (like me :) ). It has also been in use by some Welsh people as a Latin alternative since then[2][3][4].

The Etymology of Pelagius recensere

Welsh recensere

Mainstream (and my personal preference) recensere

  • Môr: the sea
  • gan: born or near
  • Morgan: Born from the sea/Near the Sea.[5]

Alternative Views recensere

FIRST[6]

  • Welsh: from the Old Welsh personal name Morcant - Latinised as Morganus and equivalent to Morgan as a first name[7] - which is of uncertain but ancient etymology.
  • Irish: importation of the Welsh surname, to which has been assimilated more than one Gaelic surname, notably Ó Muireagáin (see Merrigan).
  • Scottish: of uncertain origin; probably from a Gaelic personal name cognate with Welsh Morcant.

SECOND[8]

  • It is of Welsh and Old English origin, and its meaning is "circling sea or great brightness; bright or white sea dweller".

THIRD

Graeco-Latin recensere

  • Greek: Pelag(i)os = "Sea"[9]Latin: Pelag(i)us = "Sea"[9] or "From across the ocean"[10] or "Born on the sea"[5] or just the adjective Pelagius, listed in Words as "marine; of the sea"[11] (see the declension below)

Declension of Pelagius (adj.) recensere

sg. m f
nom. Pelagius Pelagia
voc. Pelagī Pelagia
acc. Pelagium Pelagiam
gen. Pelagiī Pelagiae
dat. Pelagiō Pelagiae
abl. Pelagiō Pelagiā

Opinions recensere

My Opinion recensere

I think it's great to have such an unusual translation for a surname and Pelagius rolls of the tongue really nicely.

The Opinion of some Welsh Etymologists recensere

Pelagius is an unacceptable form, as Morgan doen't mean "Seabegotten, Sea-born" or anything like that, it actually means "Great herd" (Mawr = Great), (Cant=Herd/Throng) - Mawrcant then evolved into Morgan and various other forms.[12]

The Opinion of Vicipaedia recensere

It isn't really accepted to use translated surnames, unless they are well documented and were used often. Neither really fits the Pelagius equation. There is the page David Morgan too, not even using Morganus (I guess that only works as a first name)[13].

References recensere

  1. http://biblia.com/history/fifth.htm
  2. http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/ParishRegs.html
  3. [1]
  4. [2]
  5. 5.0 5.1 An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names With an Essay on their Derivation and Import; Arthur, William, M.A.; New York, NY: Sheldon, Blake, Bleeker & CO., 1857. Via Search for Ancestors
  6. Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4; via Ancestry.com
  7. http://www.britannia.com/bios/ebk/morcanbr.html
  8. http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Morgan
  9. 9.0 9.1 http://www.20000-names.com/male_latin_names_03.htm
  10. http://egina2.blogspot.com/2006/12/gospel-truth.html
  11. William Whittaker's Words - the vocative case is modified to fit the "-ius, -ī" vocative, which Words doesn't understand
  12. "Welsh Surnames", T. J. Morgan and Prys Morgan, University of Wales Press, 1985. via http://www.data-wales.co.uk/morgname.htm.
  13. http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~oel/latingivennames.html

Further Reading recensere