Dia dhuit,

My name is Br. Brendan and I am an Irish-American monk. I have just begun to learn Gaeilge and I've found it a fascinating and unique language! I'm very happy to have found this forum as well, although the users seem very advanced. I hope my posts are acceptable in their simplicity.

My question is this: My surname is TUMILTY and I've always wondered at the etymology of this name. I haven't had much luck researching its origin, but I did find this piece of information:



I looked in my Irish dictionary and found this:



I was unable to find an entry for the word, "tomalt" that means 'size' or 'bulk'. Is this a different dialect, or perhaps an obsolete word? Now, I did find this entry in the same dictionary:



Perhaps my ancestors were big eaters and thus became quite large?

Any input on this question would be appreciated!

Speaking of names, I was given the name "Brendan" when I joined this monastery because of my Irish heritage. I noticed the name is spelled "Breandán" in Irish. I will use this spelling whenever I can!

Go raibh maith agaibh!

There are two surnames: Mac Tomaltaigh and Ó Tomaltaigh,
both referring to the first name Tomaltach. (anglicized also Timothy, latinized Tomaltachus, Tumultachus)

tomhailt, consumption (eating/drinking), has a lenited m. It is pronounced like túilt ("toolch")
This m has been lenited probably for at least 1000 years (though spellt tomailt in Old Irish)
But Tomaltach obviously kept an unlenited m until now.
So, they might not be related.

Perhaps it is related to French tumult, Latin tumultus

MacLysaght, in his Surnames of Ireland, says the following about the name (with the same Irish forms as were given by Labhrás gave above):

_________________
I'm not a native (or entirely fluent) speaker, so be sure to wait for confirmations/corrections, especially for tattoos.

Very interesting comments... yes, I have heard of lenition and am just beginning to understand what it is. I also understand that Irish spelling was standardized in the past 100 (?) years. I wonder if many of these names keep their old spelling and pronunciation in spite of general phonetic changes in the language as Labhrás was alluding to...?

But I like the orthography of TOMALTAIGH. Maybe I'll use it more... This word for 'bulky' ("tomaltach") is still a mystery, as far as finding a modern dictionary reference to it. If anyone happens to see it.... enlighten us!

~PAX

(Mac/Ó) Tomaltaigh has ever been the only correct spelling in Irish.
it hasn't changed.
Tomaltaigh is genitive of Tomaltach



It isn't in eDIL (http://www.dil.ie/) or Corpas Stairiúil na Gaeilge (http://corpas.ria.ie/) either (except as a personal name). So, I suppose it never was used as an adjective in the sense of "bulky". I doubt this meaning.

Thank you for the other dictionary links! I'll keep them handy.