Editing Fomorians (section)

==Name==
In [[Old Irish|Old]] and [[Middle Irish]], the race is usually called the ''Fomóire'' or ''Fomóiri'' (plural), and an individual member is called a ''Fomóir'' (singular). In Middle Irish, they are also called the ''Fomóraiġ'' (plural) and a ''Fomórach'' (singular). This is spelt ''Fomhóraigh/Fomóraigh'' (plural) and ''Fomhórach'' (singular) in [[Irish language|Modern Irish]]. Their name is [[Latinisation of names|Latinized]] as ''Muiridi'' in the ''[[Lebor Bretnach]]''.<ref>{{harvnb|Historia Britonum|1847|loc=Historia 8: "Of the Conquest of Eri as Recorded by Nennius"}}</ref> In English, they are called the Fomorians, Fomori or Fomors.

The etymology of the name is debated. The first part is generally agreed to be the Old Irish ''fo'', meaning under, below, lower, beneath, nether, etc. The meaning of the second part is unclear. One suggestion is that it comes from Old Irish ''mur'' (sea), and that the name means something like "the undersea ones".<ref>{{harvnb|Rhys|1888|p=591}}</ref> This was the interpretation offered by some medieval Irish writers.<ref>[[O'Mulconry's Glossary]] in Dublin, TCD MS 1317, p. 42b, has "Fomoir .i. fo mhuir ut alii putant, ł a fomo fl{?}o ambiae fl{?}i acain a quo nominatunt{?}." ''[http://www.asnc.cam.ac.uk/irishglossaries/texts.php?versionID=12&ref=109#109 Early Irish Glossaries Database]''.</ref> Another suggestion is that it comes from ''mór'' (great/big) and means something like "the great under(world) ones", "the under(world) giants" or "the nether giants". A third suggestion, which has more support among scholars, is that it comes from a hypothetical Old Irish term for a demon or phantom, found in the name of [[The Morrígan]] and cognate with the archaic English word "[[Mare (folklore)|mare]]" (which survives in "nightmare").<ref>{{harvnb|Stokes|1891|p=128}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Thurneysen|1921|p=64}}</ref> The name would thus mean something like "underworld demons/phantoms"<ref name=mythlegendromance/> or "nether demons/phantoms". Building on this, [[Marie-Louise Sjoestedt]] interprets the name as meaning "inferior" or "latent demons", saying the Fomorians are "like the powers of chaos, ever latent and hostile to cosmic order".<ref name=sjoestedt/> [[John T. Koch]] suggests a relationship with [[Tartessian language|Tartessian]] ''omuŕik''.<ref>English version of ‘[https://www.academia.edu/6941025/LAS_INSCRIPCIONES_DEL_SUROESTE_Y_EL_TARTESO_DE_LA_ARQUEOLOG%C3%8DA_Y_DE_LA_HISTORIA Las inscripciones del suroeste y el Tarteso de la arqueología y de la historia]’, Juan M. Campos y Jaime Alvar (editores),
Tarteso. El emporio del metal 
(Córdoba, Editorial Almuzara, 2013), 552.</ref>