Owain
Sign in to saveOwain () is a name of Welsh origin, variously written in Old Welsh as Ougein, Eugein, Euguen, Iguein, Ou(u)ein, Eug(u)ein, Yuein, and in Middle Welsh as Ewein, Owein, and Ywein. Other variants of the name Owain include Ewein, Iguein, Owein, Ouein, Ywen, Ywein, Ywain, Yuein, and Yvain. Owain has also been Latinized as Oenus.
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9 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Welsh folklore
- Popularity
- People
- Pre-modern era
- Modern era
- Fictional characters
- See also
- References
Owain () is a name of Welsh origin, variously written in Old Welsh as Ougein, Eugein, Euguen, Iguein, Ou(u)ein, Eug(u)ein, Yuein, and in Middle Welsh as Ewein, Owein, and Ywein. Other variants of the name Owain include Ewein, Iguein, Owein, Ouein, Ywen, Ywein, Ywain, Yuein, and Yvain. Owain has also been Latinized as Oenus.
==Etymology== Osborn Bergin proposed that the name is cognate with Old Irish Ugaine, Augaine, and suggested that the Irish name could be a British loan. Linguist Kenneth H. Jackson proposed that the name is a derivation of the Latin Eugenius, (which was more recently accepted by T.J. Morgan). Julius Pokorny favored a purely Celtic origin, from Brittonic *Ouo-genios/*Owi-genjos, "Born of Sheep", "Sheep kin". Linguists Holger Pedersen and Henry Lewis (who earlier linked the name to Gaulish *Esugenos) determined that both Jackson's and Pokorny's etymologies were phonologically impossible.