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Manapii facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Manapii were an ancient tribe who lived in southeastern Ireland. A Greek mapmaker named Ptolemy wrote about them around 100 AD.

Later, around the early Christian period, people called them the (Fir) Manach. This group lived further north, in places like County Down and near Lough Erne. In fact, they gave their name to the modern County Fermanagh! Some old Irish family histories say the Manaig moved north from the south of Leinster.

What's in a Name?

The name Manapii is very old! It sounds a lot like the Menapii, another tribe from northern Gaul (which is now France and Belgium). This Gaulish tribe was first written about around 100 BC.

Historians think both names might come from an even older language called Proto-Celtic. The exact meaning of Manapii is a bit of a mystery. It could mean 'mountain people' or 'high-living people'. This idea comes from an old word root that means 'mountain'. Another idea is that it comes from a root word meaning 'to think' or 'to remember'.

One expert, Patrick Sims-Williams, believes the name Manapii might have been brought to Ireland by settlers from Great Britain. He thinks the name changed a little over time to become Manaig in the local Irish language.

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