The following article appeared in the June/July 2001 issue of "The Family Tree", and credits the source as being from "Clan MacDougall Society of North America, Inc." Since my husband has many Scottish ancestors, I found it very interesting, and perhaps some of you will too. (I still become Irish for one day on St. Pat's Day) Pat McDonald [The _ represents underlined words in the newsletter] == _Mac_, Gaelic for "son", is the most common element of Scottish surnames. _Mc_ is always an abbreviation of _Mac_, it also used to be abbreviated _M'_ although this spelling is now now common. In an early book on Highland music, the author spelled his own name three different ways on the first two page: MacDonald, McDonald and M'Donald. Black's "The Surnames of Scotland" and MacLysaght's "The Surnames of Ireland" both treat _Mac_ the same way--as the only and original spelling. This same approach is used here. _Mac_ is always considered an addition to a name. Before there was a _Donald's Son_ there was a _Donald_. In Scotland names beginning with _Mac_ are traditionally alphebetized under the first letter of the second name - McAlister under A, and MacZin under Z. After 1745 to avoid reprisals many Anglicized their name by dropping the _Mac_, or as they emigrated (were cleared off the land), MacBall becoming simply Ball. Nova Scotia's Kinzie River was settled by MacKenzies. _Mac_ takes a variety of pronunciations. In Islay Gaelic, _Mac_ is pronounced like "mek". In the United states it can be heard as "mick". Preceeding a (k) or (g) sound, the final (k) of _Mac_ disappears. It became the practice in the south of Scotland to write two words as one MacHan to Machan; MacGrath to Magrath. The (k) sound of Mac is duplicated and attached to the front of a following word if it begins in a vowel (MacKaskill to MacAskill). _Mac_ is at times pronounced "muck" and written that way--Mac'll Roy to Mucelroy.