Ériu
/ˈeːrʲu/noun
Ériu is the mythological sovereignty goddess and personification of Ireland in Irish tradition.
Did you know?Ériu is one of the three sovereignty goddesses of Irish mythology, alongside Banba and Fódla, and her name is preserved in modern Irish Éire and English Erin.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Celtic
Proto-Celtic
*Īwerjū
“Reconstructed ancestral form associated with the name of Ireland; its exact original meaning remains debated.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Ἰουερνία (Iouernía)
“A Greek form of the Celtic name for Ireland, recorded by ancient geographers.”
1st Century BCE–CE
Latin
Hibernia
“The Latin name for Ireland, probably adapted from a Celtic form related to Ériu.”
Old Irish
Old Irish
Ériu
“The name of Ireland, also personified as a sovereignty goddess.”
Middle Irish
Middle Irish
Érenn
“The genitive form meaning “of Ireland,” preserving the older name in inflected form.”
Modern Irish
Irish
Éire
“The modern Irish name for Ireland.”
Modern English
English
Erin
“A poetic English name for Ireland, borrowed through Irish tradition.”