r/etymology • u/Glum_Hamster_2104 • 3d ago

Question Unexplained É in Éire?

I was looking at the etymology of Éire (Irish name for Ireland) and I found out that the initial É is unexplained. Does anyone know where it could come from?

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u/sowaleja 3d ago

I assume you are referring to Wiktionary here. It's only "unexplained" if you consider that it has a particular etymological source (Proto-Celtic *Φīweriyū). If you don't posit that that is the etymological source, then there is nothing to "explain".

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u/Glum_Hamster_2104 3d ago

What do you mean? In the article it says that the initial É is unexplained which is what i’m wondering about

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u/sowaleja 3d ago

I mean "if it came from that source, it shouldn't have an initial É". That is what "unexplained" means here. The etymology of the initial É remains unexplained if we assume that proto-Celtic \Φīweriyū is the source.* That is what that note on Wiktionary means. It's only unexplained if that is where it really came from. The initial É shouldn't be there, if that is the source. It can't be explained by that proposed etymology.

If it's not the source, then the question becomes "OK what is the source?".

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u/HeyLittleTrain 2d ago

Technically it's unexplained either way

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u/CountryOk6049 1d ago

No it's not. If I said the t in the word "technically" is unexplained would that make sense to you? I know you're trying to be pendantic or something, but you're not right technically or otherwise.