Given name
Medb
“intoxicating, she who makes drunk”·“an intoxicating woman”
Medb is a variant of Maeve. Interpretations include “intoxicating, she who makes drunk” and “an intoxicating woman” (Irish). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Medb is a variant of Maeve. Interpretations include “intoxicating, she who makes drunk” and “an intoxicating woman” (Irish). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Medb comes from Proto-Celtic, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
How it developed
From Proto-Celtic *medwos, from Proto-Indo-European *médʰu.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Medb is a variant of Maeve. The history of Maeve gives this family its wider story. In the Táin Bó Cuailnge, or Cattle Raid of Cooley, Queen Meadhbh of Connacht leads a raid to capture the Brown Bull of Cooley. Maeve is an English spelling of her name; the story belongs to Irish epic tradition.
Explained through its name family
Medb’s family of names
In Middle Irish usage, Medb shares a linguistic root with the Irish form Méabh. Medb has a related form in Maeve. In Middle Irish usage, Medb has a later derivative in Maeve.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
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