Irish speakers/Celtic linguist help.

**Gaius Sempronius Gracchus** · 06-19-2013, 20:33

The Irish Gaelic word for citizen is saoránach. Does anybody know the etymology of this?

**Hax** · 06-20-2013, 09:01

@Brennus perhaps?

**Brennus** · 06-20-2013, 09:03

I'm afraid I am no linguist. Just an archaeologist. Sorry.

**gaelic cowboy** · 06-20-2013, 22:36

saor is the gaelic word for free so essentially it would be like saying free person or free man

best place to ask for a proper etymology might be boards.ie

you can try the etymology thread I suppose http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=848

or here on this other one i quickly googled for ye dunno anything about it though http://www.daltai.com/index.php/about-us/

thats as much help as I can give ye as linguistics and etymology of words would be a bit beyond me

**Gaius Sempronius Gracchus** · 06-29-2013, 16:15

Thank you. gaelic cowboy. Another question, not about Irish/Celtic this time, but...does anybody know where the first mentions of the Franks can actually be found. In other words the earliest contemporary source for them?

**Catiline** · 07-02-2013, 12:10

The Augustan History in the Life of Aurelian.

Mille Sarmatas, mille Francos semel et semel occidimus;
Mille Persas quaerimus.

**Gaius Sempronius Gracchus** · 07-03-2013, 10:07

Originally Posted by Catiline

The Augustan History in the Life of Aurelian.

Thank you very much for that. Brilliant.

**El Barto** · 07-27-2013, 17:09

Originally Posted by Gaius Sempronius Gracchus

The Irish Gaelic word for citizen is saoránach. Does anybody know the etymology of this?

El Bumpo.

I have checked in a Scottish Gaelic dictionary.

You should see the connotation:

saoranach

** -aich, sm Free man, freed man, independant man, burgess, citizen, denizen.

(of course, that's in the nominative)

Independent/burgess/free(d) man. I guess the word originally meant the top class of legal status when social strata were defined by how (un) free you were, back in feudal times.