| Corpus Refs: | Macalister/1945:500 |
| Site: | ANDRS |
| Discovery: | recognised, 1909 Kermode, P.M.C. |
| History: | Kermode/1910--1911, 6, states the stone was found `in February last...in the course of our local archaeological survey...we noticed about nine feet west of the ruins a large stone set up like the headstone of a grave'. By 1911 this stone was in the museum at Castle Rushen. Macalister/1945, 479, states that the stone was by then in the Manx Museum, Douglas, where it remains, with the cross number MM5. |
| Geology: | Kermode/1910-1911, reprinted Kermode/1994, Appendix A, 6, calls the stone 'clay slate' and suggests it came from hills six miles to the south of the site. |
| Dimensions: | 1.75 x 0.43 x 0.2 (converted from Kermode/1911) |
| Setting: | in display |
| Location: | Manx Museum, Douglas (Cat: MM 5) The Manx Museum (MM 5). |
| Form: | plain |
| Condition: | complete , good Kermode/1910-1911, reprinted Kermode/1994, Appendix A, 6 states that the `whole pillar was weathered'. |
| Folklore: | none |
| Crosses: | none |
| Decorations: | no other decoration |
| Kermode, P.M.C. (1910): | AMMECAT | FILIUSROCAT | HICIACIT Expansion: AMMECAT | FILIUS ROCAT | HIC IACIT Cubbon/1982 259 minor reference Kermode/1910-1911 448--449 reading only Kermode/1911 26 reading only |
| Kermode, P.M.C. (1911): | AMMECAT{O} | FILIUSROCAT | HICIACIT Expansion: AMMECATO | FILIUS ROCAT | HIC IACIT Kermode/1910-1911 457 reading only |
| Macalister, R.A.S. (1945): | AMMECATI | FILIVSROCATI | HICIACIT Expansion: AMMECATI | FILIVS ROCATI | HIC IACIT Jackson/1953 173 reading only Jones/1990 34--35 substantial discussion Macalister/1945 479--480 reading only McManus/1991 97 reading only |
| Orientation: | horizontal |
| Position: | n/a ; broad ; n/a ; undecorated Kermode/1910-1911, 457, states that the inscription begins 26 inches from the top of the stone. |
| Incision: | cut Kermode/1910-1911, 458, `the letters are V-shaped in section.' |
| Date: | 466 - 500 (Jackson/1953) 500 - 550 (Kermode/1910-1911) 500 - 500 (Thomas/1971) |
| Language: | Latin (rcaps) |
| Ling. Notes: | Jackson/1953, 173, 187, 509, 621, 623, 645, and McManus/1991, 97, 112-113 are the two main discussions of the text. Jackson argues that -mb- for -mm- is the assimilated British form, and that *Ambicatus for *Imbicatos (the Irish form) also shows the influence of spoken British. |
| Palaeography: | Macalister/1945, 479, `Roman lettering'. Cubbon/1982, 259, `Roman majescule [sic] letters'. Kermode/1910-1911, 457, `well formed Roman capitals'. Only the R with a horizontal stroke and the first I of filius which falls from the cross-stroke of the F are unusual. |
| Legibility: | good Macalister/1945, 479, `the ends of the lines of Roman lettering are a little battered: but...are clearly legible'. Kermode/1910-1911, 457--458, `The third letter is somewhat worn and looked like an N, but closer examination showed the further down-stroke making M...the stem line of the L in the second line, and the following I are made indistinct by cracks in the stone, and the first two letters of the third line are badly worn, but all are legible'. |
| Lines: | 3 |
| Carving errors: | 0 |
| Doubtful: | no |
The element *catos means 'battle'.
Jackson/1953, 187: `The name *Rocatus is either both British and Irish, in which case the C and T stand for g, d, and ch, th respectively; or it is Irish only, in which case the Latin C and T are spellings for ch and th'.
The element *catos means 'battle'.
| Kermode, P.M.C. (1910): | [...]B[.]CATOSMAQIR[O]C[A]T[O]S Expansion: [..]B[.]CATOS MAQI ROCATOS Translation: [..]b[.]catos (PN) son of Rocatos (PN). Kermode/1910-1911 449 reading only |
| Macalister, R.A.S. (1945): | [E]B[I]CATOSM[A]QIROC[A]T[O]S Expansion: [E]B[I]CATOS M[A]QI R[O]C[A]T[O]S Translation: Ebicatos (PN) son of Rocatos (PN). Macalister/1945 480 reading only |
| Jackson, K.H. (1950): | [IM]B[I]CATOSM[A]QIROC[A]TOS Expansion: [IM]B[I]CATOS M[A]QI R[O]C[A]T[O]S Translation: Imbicatos(PN) son of Rocatos(PN). Jackson/1950 209 reading only |
| Jackson, K.H. (1953): | [AM]B[I]CATOSM[A]QIR[O]C[A]T[O]S Expansion: AMBICATOS MAQI ROCATOS Translation: Ambicatos(PN) son of Rocatos(PN). Jackson/1953 173 reading only McManus/1991 97 reading only |
| Orientation: | vertical up |
| Position: | inc ; arris ; n/a ; undecorated Macalister/1945, 480: `The Ogham is not actually on an angle, but on the edge of the stone, which is rounded like a ridge'. |
| Incision: | cut |
| Date: | 500 - 550 (Kermode/1910-1911) 466 - 500 (Jackson/1953) 500 - 500 (Thomas/1971) 466 - 533 (McManus/1991) 466 - 500 (Cubbon/1982) |
| Language: | Goidelic (Ogham) |
| Ling. Notes: | The words still have their endings, and if the reading of Jackson/1953, 173, note 1, of Ambicatos is correct he argues it suggests British influence on the name in vocalism of the first syllable (AM for IM - *Imbicatos being the Primitive Irish form). This influence has not extended to the -mb- which had become -mm- in British - see Latin text of this stone. ANDRS/1/1. McManus/1991, 114. |
| Palaeography: | Macalister/1945, 480: `The cross-scores are sloped in the wrong direction'. |
| Legibility: | some Macalister/1945, 480: `The stone is injured and the inscription is incomplete: some of the vowels are lost, as well as the proximal ends of some of the side scores'. |
| Lines: | 1 |
| Carving errors: | 0 |
| Doubtful: | no |
The element *catos means 'battle'.
It shows no trace of lenition, syncope or apocope. The element *catos means 'battle'.