UISNEACH, THE 'MIDDLE PLACE THAT IS ABOVE OR OVER'

Stone of Divisions/Catstone Atop Uisneach Hill

While researching the traditions surrounding Stonehenge for my new book THE KING OF STONEHENGE: MODRED AND THE DEFENSE OF DARK AGE BRITAIN, I happened to discuss with Professor Jurgen Uhlich of Trinity College, Dublin, the possible etymology of the place-name Uisneach, the hill "of Killare" (Killarus) of Geoffrey of Monmouth's story.  Killare is a place that lies at the foot of the Hill of Uisneach, the true omphalos of Ireland.

There were some proposed forms by highly respected Celtic linguists like Hamp and O'Rahilly.  For these derivations, see

https://books.google.com/books?id=6TGSQpTgXOwC&pg=PA28&lpg=PA28&dq=%22*us-tin-ako-%22&source=bl&ots=KFkuyjbQbJ&sig=aSHqBPEHlFcYYxLEpFV3uQXBINM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjDg6ev6efbAhWoxFQKHe_nD-MQ6AEwAHoECAAQAQ#v=onepage&q=%22*us-tin-ako-%22&f=false

Prof. Uhlich himself suggested  "uss- ‘up’ + enech ‘face, front’ to denote a high plateau, i.e. < *ups- eneku̯o-?"

I did not find these etymologies convincing.  Why?  Because the Welsh medieval writer Gerald of Wales has this to say about the place:

In other words, the Catstone was called the umbilicus (= navel, center, middle) of Ireland. I would propose, therefore, that the place-name Uisneach be derived from uss (in the sense of 'above, over') plus an early form of inne, 'center, middle', with the suffix *-ako.  Professor Peter Schrijver commented thusly on my idea:

"Your reconstruction would work phonologically."

Dr. Simon Rodway had a bit more to say about it:

"As Matasovic [in his ETYMOLOGICAL DICTIONARY OF PROTO-CELTIC] makes clear, inne 'middle' etc. is from *en-n-ya: (at least according to Lindeman's reconstruction), not from en(i), in(i) (which means 'in'). Thus we would expect nn. Nonetheless, Thurneysen (Grammar of Old Irish, 90) mentions that double consonants 'are mostly simplified before and after other consonants', so I think this could give Uisneach."

Uisneach would then be 'the middle place that is over or above [the surrounding land, i.e. on a hill].'

Now, there is one potential problem with this etymology.  Irish inne, while having the concrete sense of 'center, middle', seems to have been used only for the center or middle of something three-dimensional.  I have the following on this from Dr. Sharon Arbuthnot of Queen's University, Belfast:

"Having looked at the examples contained in the eDIL dictionary it seems fairly clear that this is used of three-dimensional objects. The word seems to refer, not to the centre-point of a solid or uniform entity, but to a distinct element which is contained within something else. So, it can be the heart or the intestines and, when used figuratively, the meaning or nature. Many of the examples in section II (a) of the dictionary entry are in etymological glosses, in which the word inchinn 'the brain', for example, is claimed to be derived from inne in chinn 'what is in the head'. This is not the true derivation of the word, of course, but it gives a good insight into how inne was understood."

However, we also have a tradition of a sacred ash tree being planted at Uisneach as a classic axis mundi. The nature of an axis mundi in tree form is that the entire universe is bound together at a center point from the branches in heaven to the roots in the underworld.  In other words, the tree passes through the earth.  Irish tradition links the goddess Eriu, a personification of Ireland, to Uisneach.  Technically, the Catstone/Stone of Divisions is her navel. But if that navel were envisioned as continuing through to the underworld in one direction and to heaven in the other, then inne might be an acceptable term to use to designate the locality.

In addition, I have had this helpful comment from Irish expert Prof. Uhlich:

The best I can do for the meaning is that inne is once quoted as the equivalent of medón (middle, centre), and for the latter in turn cf. e.g. for medon maige [medón means ‘(the) middle’ and mag, genitive maige, means ‘of a/the plain’], quoted s.v.

"'*en-n-ya', at least at first sight, seems a pseudo-etymology of the kind I have been warning about, consisting merely of sounds stringed together to match the formal outcome, without explaining what this additional -n- is supposed to be. But once the double -nn- of inne were to be explained properly, Uisneach would not be a problem, because as GOI rightly explains, such geminates are not normally spelled out after another consonant - especially not homorganic ones like s in this cases, after which the dental nasal would be automatically be unlenited anyway, whatever its origin. So best not worry too much about the precise connection between the word for 'in' and inne, Uisneach could formally contain it whatever the etymology."

Geoffrey of Monmouth must have known that Uisneach was the center of Ireland, for he has the stones of Stonehenge transported from there by Merlin. In other words, Stonehenge was perceived as the umbilicus of Britain (or at least of southern England!).

Merlin or Myrddin was either the god Lleu ( = Irish Lugh) or an avatar of that god.  The grave of Lugh is to be found at Uisneach (see https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Seamus_Mcginley/publication/332259012_Lough_Lugh_Uisneach_from_natural_lake_to_archaeological_monument/links/5caa3dbba6fdcca26d064d23/Lough-Lugh-Uisneach-from-natural-lake-to-archaeological-monument.pdf).  In the story of Ambrosius and Vortigern at Dinas Emrys in the HISTORIA BRITTONUM, Merlin is initially intended as a foundation sacrifice for the fort.