Etymology

halligan

H4A1L1L1I1G2A1N1

Today it means: A tool, used mostly by firemen, to pry open buildings, manholes, wrecked cars, etc. Full definition →

Irish Ó hÁilleagáin
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halligan · noun1

Ellipsis of Halligan bar.

Halligan · proper noun, noun2

  1. Irish · derived fromÓ hÁilleagáin“descendant of Áilleagán”
  2. English todayHalligan

Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó hÁilleagáin (“descendant of Áilleagán”), a double diminutive of áille (“beauty”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.