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Hibernia (Latin: [(h)ɪˈbɛr.n̪i.a]) is the Classical Latin name for Ireland. The name Hibernia was taken from Greek geographical accounts. During his exploration of northwest Europe ( c. 320 BC ), Pytheas of Massalia called the island Iérnē (written Ἰέρνη ).
Hibernia is a national personification of Ireland. She appeared in numerous cartoons and drawings, in particular, during the nineteenth century. [1] [2] As depicted in frequent cartoons in Punch, a magazine outspokenly hostile to Irish nationalism, Hibernia was shown as "Britannia's younger sister". [3] She is an attractive, vulnerable girl. [4]
The deduced Celtic name for Ireland – Iverio – from which its present name was derived, was known to the Greeks by the 4th century BC at least, possibly as early as the 6th century BC. The name meant "the fertile land". It was Latinised to Hiernia or Hibernia. Its people were the Iverni. [citation needed]
The Codex Vatopedinus's Ptolemy's map of the British Isles, labelled "Ἀλουΐων" (Alouíōn, "Albion") and Ἰουερνία (Iouernía, "Hibernia"). c. 1300. The toponym in English is thought to derive from the Greek word Ἀλβίων, [3] Latinised as Albiōn (genitive Albionis).
Ogygia meaning the most ancient land is a name used by Plutarch in the first century which may [citation needed] refer to Ireland. Hibernia is first used to refer to Ireland by Julius Caesar in his account of Britain, and became a common term used by the Romans.
This was borrowed into Latin as Hibernia. The evolution of the word would follow as such: Proto-Celtic *Φīwerjon-(nominative singular *Φīwerjū) Archaic Irish *Īweriū. Old Irish Ériu. Modern Irish Éire; An Old Irish by-form of this placename was íriu, meaning "land, earth". [1]
Ancient Roman writers, such as Caesar, Pliny and Tacitus, derived from Ivernia the name Hibernia. [23] Thus the name "Hibernian" also comes from this root, although the Romans tended to call the isle Scotia , and the Gaels Scoti . [ 24 ]
According to an article in the Classical Studies Association of Ireland's journal, it is also possible that Hibernia originates from a Celtic word for 'fat' or 'fertile' "As a consequence, the Celts called the island Iweriu, meaning the 'fat' or 'fertile' land and this name entered the latin language as Iuverna (Hibernia)."