The ancient British Church became acquainted with the mother and child through the Gallic. Welsh hagiology owns them as “Gwyl Gwric ac Elidan;” and Cwrig has been continued as a name in Wales, whilst, on the other hand, the child is equally honoured in his native East—by Russia, Armenia, Abyssinia, and even the Nestorian Christians. He is probably the source of the Illyrian names Cirjar and Cirko.
| English. | French. | Portuguese. | Spanish. |
| Cyril | Cyrille | Cyrillo | Cirilo |
| Italian. | German. | Russian. | Illyrian. |
| Cirillo | Cyrill | Keereel | Cirilo |
| Ciril | |||
| Ciro |
Kyrillos (Κύριλλος) fell to the lot of two great doctors of the Church—patriarchs, the one of Alexandria, the other of Jerusalem; also to two martyrs, one a young boy, and thus it became widely known. The Welsh had it as Girioel, which really is nearer the pronunciation than our own Cyril, with a soft C. It is a name known everywhere, but more in favour in the East than the West, and of honourable memory to us for the sake of Kyrillos Lucar, the Byzantine patriarch, the correspondent of Laud, and afterwards a martyr. Latterly fashion has somewhat revived it in England; and the feminine, Cyrilla, is known in Germany.
Probably, however, this is only the diminutive of kyrios (a master), and did not begin with a religious import.
The Latin equivalent for the Greek, Kyriake, was Dies Emera Dominica. The immediate derivation of this word is in some doubt. It certainly is from Dominus; but there is some question whether this word be from domo (to rule), a congener of the Greek δαμάω, and of our own tame; or if it be from domus (a house), a word apparently direct from the Greek δόμος, from δέμω (to build); another branch from that same root, meaning to rule or govern.
Dominicus, the adjective formed from this word, is found in the French term for the Lord’s prayer, l'Oraison Dominicale, and it likewise named the Lord’s Day, Dies Dominica; Domenica, in Italy; Domingo, in Spain; Dimanche, in France. The first saint, who was probably so called from being born on a Sunday, was San Dominico of the Cuirass, a recluse of the Italian Alps, whose mortification consisted in wearing an iron cuirass, which he never took off except to scourge himself. He died in 1024; and a still sterner disciplinarian afterwards bore the same name, that Dominico whom the pope beheld in a vision upbearing the Church as a pillar, and who did his utmost to extirpate the Albigenses; whose name is connected with the foundation of the Inquisition, and whose brotherhood spread wherever Rome’s dominion was owned. He is saint for namesakes out of Romanist lands, but in these it occurs, and has an Italian feminine, Domenica; for short, Menica. Perhaps this likewise accounts for the Spanish Mendez and Mencia. This last may, however, be from Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, whose name has never been accounted for. It may be from some unknown language; but is sometimes supposed to be from moneo, to advise. Monique is rather a favourite with French peasants, and Moncha was Irish, but it has not been as common as it deserves.
| Irish. | French. | Italian. | Spanish. |
| Domnech | Dominique | Domenico | Domingo |
| Dominic | Domenichino | Mendez | |
| Menico | |||
| Portuguese. | Slavonic. | Hungarian. | Servian. |
| Domingos | Dominik | Domokos | Dominic |
| Domogoj | Menz | ||
| Dinko | Menzel | ||
| Dunko |
The Slavonians have, however, a name for their Sunday in their own tongue—Nedele; and have formed from it the Nedelco of the Bulgarians; the Nedeljko, Nedan, Nedo, and the feminine, Nedelijka and Neda, of the Illyrians.
I am aware of no other names from the days of the week, except the ‘Thursday October Christian’ of Pitcairn’s Island, who was probably so called in recollection of the Man Friday.
All Saints' Day has furnished Spain with Santos; and France, or rather San Domingo, with Toussaint, unless this last be a corruption, or, perhaps, a pious adaptation, of Thorstein—Thor’s stone, turned into All Saints.[[93]]