Ossian

English

Etymology

An anglicisation, made known by James Macpherson, of Irish Oisín, diminutive form of os (“deer”).

Proper noun

Ossian

1. A male given name from Irish; rather rare in the Anglo-Saxon world.
   • 1765, James Macpherson, The Poems of Ossian, Tauchnitz, published 1847, page 204:

     Fingal! thou king of heroes! Ossian, next to him in war! ye have fought in your youth; your names are renowned in song.

2. A place name:
   1. A town in Jefferson Township, Wells County, Indiana, United States.
   2. A minor city in Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States.
   3. A town in Livingston County, New York, United States.
   4. A river that flows from Loch Ossian, Highland council area, Scotland, ultimately joining the River Spean.

Derived terms

• Ossianesque
• Ossianic

Related terms

• Loch Ossian

Translations

male given name

• Finnish: Ossian (fi)
• Irish: Oisín
• Manx: Oshin
• Swedish: Ossian (sv)
• Welsh: Osian

Anagrams

• Sianos, saison

Finnish

Etymology

From English Ossian via Swedish in the 19th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈosːiɑn/, [ˈo̞s̠ːiɑ̝n]
• Rhymes: -osːiɑn
• Syllabification^(key): Os‧si‧an

Proper noun

Ossian

1. a male given name from English; mostly used as a middle name

Declension

Inflection of Ossian (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		Ossian	Ossianit
genitive		Ossianin	Ossianien
partitive		Ossiania	Ossianeja
illative		Ossianiin	Ossianeihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Ossian	Ossianit
accusative	nom.	Ossian	Ossianit
	gen.	Ossianin
genitive		Ossianin	Ossianien
partitive		Ossiania	Ossianeja
inessive		Ossianissa	Ossianeissa
elative		Ossianista	Ossianeista
illative		Ossianiin	Ossianeihin
adessive		Ossianilla	Ossianeilla
ablative		Ossianilta	Ossianeilta
allative		Ossianille	Ossianeille
essive		Ossianina	Ossianeina
translative		Ossianiksi	Ossianeiksi
abessive		Ossianitta	Ossianeitta
instructive		—	Ossianein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Ossian (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Ossianini Ossianini accusative nom. Ossianini Ossianini gen. Ossianini genitive Ossianini Ossianieni partitive Ossianiani Ossianejani inessive Ossianissani Ossianeissani elative Ossianistani Ossianeistani illative Ossianiini Ossianeihini adessive Ossianillani Ossianeillani ablative Ossianiltani Ossianeiltani allative Ossianilleni Ossianeilleni essive Ossianinani Ossianeinani translative Ossianikseni Ossianeikseni abessive Ossianittani Ossianeittani instructive — — comitative — Ossianeineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Ossianisi Ossianisi accusative nom. Ossianisi Ossianisi gen. Ossianisi genitive Ossianisi Ossianiesi partitive Ossianiasi Ossianejasi inessive Ossianissasi Ossianeissasi elative Ossianistasi Ossianeistasi illative Ossianiisi Ossianeihisi adessive Ossianillasi Ossianeillasi ablative Ossianiltasi Ossianeiltasi allative Ossianillesi Ossianeillesi essive Ossianinasi Ossianeinasi translative Ossianiksesi Ossianeiksesi abessive Ossianittasi Ossianeittasi instructive — — comitative — Ossianeinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Ossianimme Ossianimme accusative nom. Ossianimme Ossianimme gen. Ossianimme genitive Ossianimme Ossianiemme partitive Ossianiamme Ossianejamme inessive Ossianissamme Ossianeissamme elative Ossianistamme Ossianeistamme illative Ossianiimme Ossianeihimme adessive Ossianillamme Ossianeillamme ablative Ossianiltamme Ossianeiltamme allative Ossianillemme Ossianeillemme essive Ossianinamme Ossianeinamme translative Ossianiksemme Ossianeiksemme abessive Ossianittamme Ossianeittamme instructive — — comitative — Ossianeinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Ossianinne Ossianinne accusative nom. Ossianinne Ossianinne gen. Ossianinne genitive Ossianinne Ossianienne partitive Ossianianne Ossianejanne inessive Ossianissanne Ossianeissanne elative Ossianistanne Ossianeistanne illative Ossianiinne Ossianeihinne adessive Ossianillanne Ossianeillanne ablative Ossianiltanne Ossianeiltanne allative Ossianillenne Ossianeillenne essive Ossianinanne Ossianeinanne translative Ossianiksenne Ossianeiksenne abessive Ossianittanne Ossianeittanne instructive — — comitative — Ossianeinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Ossianinsa Ossianinsa accusative nom. Ossianinsa Ossianinsa gen. Ossianinsa genitive Ossianinsa Ossianiensa partitive Ossianiaan Ossianiansa Ossianejaan Ossianejansa inessive Ossianissaan Ossianissansa Ossianeissaan Ossianeissansa elative Ossianistaan Ossianistansa Ossianeistaan Ossianeistansa illative Ossianiinsa Ossianeihinsa adessive Ossianillaan Ossianillansa Ossianeillaan Ossianeillansa ablative Ossianiltaan Ossianiltansa Ossianeiltaan Ossianeiltansa allative Ossianilleen Ossianillensa Ossianeilleen Ossianeillensa essive Ossianinaan Ossianinansa Ossianeinaan Ossianeinansa translative Ossianikseen Ossianiksensa Ossianeikseen Ossianeiksensa abessive Ossianittaan Ossianittansa Ossianeittaan Ossianeittansa instructive — — comitative — Ossianeineen Ossianeinensa

Related terms

• Ossi

Statistics

• Ossian is the 742^nd (tied with 4 other names) most common male given name in Finland, belonging to 187 male individuals (and as a middle name to 2,121 more, making it much more common as a middle name), according to February 2023 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

Anagrams

• noissa, osasin

Swedish

Etymology

From English Ossian. First recorded as a Swedish given name in 1804.

Proper noun

Ossian c (genitive Ossians)

1. a male given name from English

Usage notes

In continuous use since the 19th century, though never as popular in Sweden as Macpherson's other creation, Oscar.