Fergus

English

Alternative forms

(surname): Vargus

Etymology

From Irish or Scottish Gaelic Fearghas. The first element may be related to modern fìor (“true”) or fear (“man”) (cf. Fearchar). The second element has been understood to mean 'choice' (cf. Angus). Thus the name means either "most chosen one" or "chosen man".^[1]

Pronunciation

(Ireland, Scotland) IPA^(key): /ˈfɛɹɡəs/
(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈfɜːɡəs/
(General American) IPA^(key): /ˈfɝɡəs/
Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)ɡəs

Proper noun

Fergus (plural Ferguses)

A male given name from Scottish Gaelic.
A surname originating as a patronymic.
An unincorporated community in the township of Centre Wellington, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada.

Derived terms

Related terms

References

^ Alexander Macbain, Etymology of the principal Gaelic national names, personal names, surnames to which is added a disquisition on Ptolemy's Geography of Scotland, 1911, p. 14.

Anagrams

Fruges

Cebuano

Etymology

From English Fergus, from Irish or Scottish Gaelic Fearghas.

Proper noun

Fergus

a male given name from Scottish Gaelic

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *Wirogustus, equivalent to fer (“man”) +‎ guss (“vigour”), which is from Proto-Celtic *gustus (“choice”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵéwstus.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈɸʲer.ɣus]

Proper noun

Fergus m (genitive Fergusso)

a male given name

Inflection

Masculine u-stem
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	Fergus	Fergus^L	Fergusae^H
vocative	Fergus	Fergus^L	Fergusu
accusative	Fergus^N	Fergus^L	Fergusu
genitive	Ferguso^H, Fergusa^H	Ferguso^L, Fergusa^L	Fergusae^N
dative	Fergus^L	Fergusaib	Fergusaib

Initial mutations of a following adjective:

^H = triggers aspiration
^L = triggers lenition
^N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

Irish: Fearghas
Scottish Gaelic: Fearghas

Mutation

Mutation of *Fergus*
radical	lenition	nasalization
Fergus	Ḟergus	Fergus pronounced with /β̃ʲ-/

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in Old Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

[1] Alexander Macbain, Etymology of the principal Gaelic national names, personal names, surnames to which is added a disquisition on Ptolemy's Geography of Scotland, 1911, p. 14.

[1]