Many people, especially in the UK, have surnames beginning with "Mac" or its short form "Mc". In the Gaelic languages, spoken in Ireland and Scotland, this prefix "Mac" means "son of".
Origin and Meaning
Thus, "MacArthur" means, literally, "son of Arthur". The prefix can therefore be written in full, "Mac", or in a collected form, "Mc". But, in both cases, it is pronounced the same way.
Interpretation and Identification
It is difficult to rely on the presence of the full or abbreviated form of the prefix to assume the origin, Scottish or Irish, of the name to which it is attached.
Typographical Considerations
The dominant usage, which rather follows the Scottish tradition, is not to mark a space between the prefix "Mac" and the second part of the surname.
Variations and Specific Cases
It may happen that the second part of the name, which follows the prefix, begins with a lowercase letter. We will thus write "Macintosh", to designate certain brands of computers. But this spelling is only possible if the prefix is spelled out. Indeed, the abbreviated form, "Mc", does not lend itself to such use.
Contrasting Irish Naming Conventions
It should be noted that the Irish have another way of indicating their parentage. They indeed use another prefix, "O'", which means "grandson of" or, more simply, "descendant of".
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