Re: Owain/ywein-etc

> to Chris Gwynn - Hi I saw your page once - are you working in the
>field of Celtic linguistics?

No, I am strictly a hobbyist.

>Interested about Ywein -I read recently that it was derived from
>Latin. What would be the meaning of the name - my limited knowledge
>of Celtic personal names does not enable me to see in it any of the
>common elements of other names.

The name most likely represents a Brittonic aui-gan-ios, with a
prefix aui- "benevolent/good/helpful" or "fond" (note also Brittonic
*Auicantos [the p.n. Auicantos is attested in Gaul] becoming Old
Breton Eucant, and Brittonic Auicatus giving Welsh Eugad), and a root
gan- (perhaps an a-grade form of PIE *genH- "to give birth/beget"),
with relative suffix -ios ("he that...."). Perhaps *Auiganios might
be "He that was well-born"?

- Chris Gwinn