Definitions for Ossian
ˈɒʃ ən, ˈɒs i ənos·sian

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Ossiannoun

   ; rather rare in the Anglo-Saxon world.

2. Etymology: An anglicisation, made known by James Macpherson, of Oisín, diminutive form of os.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Ossian

   Ossian (; Irish Gaelic/Scottish Gaelic: Oisean) is the narrator and purported author of a cycle of epic poems published by the Scottish poet James Macpherson, originally as Fingal (1761) and Temora (1763), and later combined under the title The Poems of Ossian. Macpherson claimed to have collected word-of-mouth material in Scottish Gaelic, said to be from ancient sources, and that the work was his translation of that material. Ossian is based on Oisín, son of Fionn mac Cumhaill (anglicised to Finn McCool), a legendary bard in Irish mythology. Contemporary critics were divided in their view of the work's authenticity, but the current consensus is that Macpherson largely composed the poems himself, drawing in part on traditional Gaelic poetry he had collected.The work was internationally popular, translated into all the literary languages of Europe and was highly influential both in the development of the Romantic movement and the Gaelic revival. Macpherson's fame was crowned by his burial among the literary giants in Westminster Abbey. W.P. Ker, in the Cambridge History of English Literature, observes that "all Macpherson's craft as a philological impostor would have been nothing without his literary skill."

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Ossian

   Ossian is the narrator and purported author of a cycle of epic poems published by the Scottish poet James Macpherson from 1760. Macpherson claimed to have collected word-of-mouth material in the Scots Gaelic said to be from ancient sources, and that the work was his translation of that material. Ossian is based on Oisín, son of Finn or Fionn mac Cumhaill, anglicised to Finn McCool, a legendary bard who is a character in Irish mythology. Contemporary critics were divided in their view of the work's authenticity, but the consensus since is that Macpherson framed the poems himself, based on old folk tales he had collected, and that "Ossian" is, in the words of Thomas Curley, "the most successful literary falsehood in modern history." The work was internationally popular, translated into all the literary languages of Europe and was influential both in the development of the Romantic movement and the Gaelic revival. "The contest over the authenticity of Macpherson's pseudo-Gaelic productions," Curley asserts, "became a seismograph of the fragile unity within restive diversity of imperial Great Britain in the age of Johnson." Macpherson's fame was crowned by his burial among the literary giants in Westminster Abbey, and W.P. Ker, in the Cambridge History of English Literature, observes that "all Macpherson's craft as a philological imposter would have been nothing without his literary skill."

The Nuttall EncyclopediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Ossian

   the heroic poet of the Gaels, the son of Fingal and the king of Morven, said to have lived in the 3rd century, the theme of whose verse concerns the exploits of Fingal and his family, the translation of which he brought home from fairyland, to which he had been transported when he was a boy, and from which he returned when he was old and blind; James Macpherson, who was no Gaelic scholar, professed to have translated the legend, as published by him in 1760-62-63.

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. ossian

   Song lyrics by ossian -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by ossian on the Lyrics.com website.

Surnames Frequency by Census RecordsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. OSSIAN

   According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Ossian is ranked #146201 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
   
   The Ossian surname appeared 113 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Ossian.
   
   95.5% or 108 total occurrences were White.

How to pronounce Ossian?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say Ossian in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Ossian in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Ossian in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Ossian
2. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossian
3. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=Ossian
4. ^ The Nuttall Encyclopedia
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/12342/pg12342-images.html#Ossian
5. ^ Surnames Frequency by Census Records
   https://www.census.gov/topics/population/genealogy/data/2010_surnames.html