TheIverni (Ἰούερνοι,Iouernoi) were a people of early Ireland first mentioned inPtolemy's 2nd centuryGeography as living in the extreme south-west of the island.[1] He also locates a "city" called Ivernis (Ἰουερνίς,Iouernis) in their territory, and observes that this settlement has the same name as the island as a whole,Ivernia (Ἰουερνία,Iouernia).[2] It was probably once the name given to all the peoples of Ireland, but by Ptolemy's time had a more restricted usage applicable to the inhabitants of the south-west. These Iverni can be identified linguistically with theÉrainn (Éraind, Érnai, Érna),[3] a people attested inMunster and elsewhere in the early Middle Ages.
The prehistoric Érainn royal dynasties are sometimes referred to as theDáirine.[4][5]
The name Iverni has been derived fromArchaic Irish*Īwernī meaning "folk of*Īweriū " (the island of Ireland). This is in turn derived fromProto-Celtic *Φīwerjon- and further fromProto-Indo-European *piHwerjon- (the fertile land), which iscognate with theAncient Greekpíeira andSanskritpīvara, which refer to fertile land.John T. Koch writes it was probably once the name given to all the peoples of Ireland, but by Ptolemy's time had a more restricted usage applicable to the inhabitants of the south-west.[6]
In early Irish genealogical tracts, the Érainn are regarded as an ethnic group, distinct from theLaigin andCruthin. Population groups in Munster classed as Érainn include theCorcu Loígde in southwestCounty Cork, theMúscraige in Counties Cork andTipperary, theCorcu Duibne inCounty Kerry, and theCorcu Baiscinn in westCounty Clare. TheDál Riata andDál Fiatach (orUlaid) inUlster are also considered Érainn. The Érainn appear to have been a powerful group in the proto-historic period, but in early historical times were largely reduced to politically marginal status, with the notable exception of the enigmaticOsraige. The most important of the Munster Érainn, the Corcu Loígde, retained some measure of prestige even after they had become marginalised by theEóganachta in the 7th or 8th century.[7] It is likely that the sometimes powerfulUí Liatháin and their close kin theUí Fidgenti originally belonged to the Érainn/Dáirine as well, but were later counted among the Eóganachta for political reasons.[8][9] Another prominent Érainn people of early Munster are believed to have been theMairtine, who by the early historical period have completely vanished from the Irish landscape, although they may be in part ancestral to the laterDéisi Tuisceart andDál gCais.[10] TheDéisi Muman may also have had Érainn origins, but this has long been disputed.
It seems likely the Iverni were related to theDarini of easternUlster.[11] The name "Darini" implies descent from an ancestor calledDáire, (*Dārios)[3] as claimed by several historical peoples identified as Érainn, including the Dál Riata and Dál Fiatach in eastern Ulster[12] as well as the Érainn of Munster. An early name forDundrum, County Down, is recorded asDún Droma Dáirine, and the nameDáirine was applied to the Corcu Loígde, further suggesting a relationship between the Darini and the Iverni.[3]
The genealogies trace the descent of the Érainn from two separate eponymous ancestors, Ailill Érann andÍar mac Dedad. Legendary relatives of the latter include theCland Dedad (offspring ofDeda mac Sin), a Munster people who appear in theUlster Cycle, led byCú Roí, son ofDáire mac Dedad, and the legendaryHigh KingConaire Mór, grandson of Iar and ancestor of theSíl Conairi. The historical sept of the Uí Maicc Iair ("grandsons of the son of Iar") and theMAQI IARI of ogham inscriptions also appear to be related.[13] The personal nameIar is simply another variant of the root present in Iverni and Érainn.[14] Finally, the nameÍth, given in the genealogies as the ultimate ancestor of the Corcu Loígde (Dáirine) and offering some confusion about their parentage and relation to the Iverni, in fact preserves the same Indo-European root*peiH- ("to be fat, swell"),[15] thus in effect completing a basic picture of the Iverni/Érainn and their kindred in later historical Ireland.
| Ivernic | |
|---|---|
| (refuted) | |
| Region | southern Ireland |
| Ethnicity | Iverni |
| Era | earlyMiddle Ages |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
Ivernic is a hypothetical language proposed byT. F. O'Rahilly. He suggested that it was an unattestedP-Celtic (probablyBrittonic) language spoken in Ireland beforeOld Irish. He suggested this language was spoken by the Iverni, and that they invaded Ireland from Britain, bringing with them the language. O'Rahilly identifies two words recorded in theSanas Cormaic as coming from Ivernic:ond ("stone") andfern ("anything good").[16]
His theory has been refuted and is not widely accepted by experts.[17][18][19] Furthermore, by the proto-historic period, the Iverni were evidentlyGoidelic-speaking, asogham inscriptions inArchaic Irish are most plentiful in southwestern Ireland, the territory of the Iverni.[20]
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