QUOTE
I've read a version recently that claims that Lugh of the long hand degenerated over time into Little Stooping Lugh (possibly little person?)
The earliest ive managed to trace this back is 1999 to in Celtic Myths and Legends, by Peter Berresford Ellis(1) and it appears again in his 2002 book Brief History of the Druids(2). There is no bibliography in either but Berresford Ellis cites Lugh Chromain - luchromain as the etymology for little stooping Lugh.
The earliest mention of leprechaun is luchoirpan from the 8th century Echtra Fergusa maic Leiti - The Adventure of Fergus mac Léti(3) Lu - little, choirp - body, ain - diminutive.
Taking that and then looking at lugh chromain - luchromain IMO its a false etymology.
If lu - little, Chrom - stoop, ain diminutive the word Lu would have to mean little and be the Gods name at the same time.
Berresford Ellis gets dates wrong in Druids and the legends he gives in Celtic Myths and Legends are retellings not translations. Combine that with the bad etymology and Id say he made it up.
QUOTE
I believe that Leprechaun means little person, it's Leipreachan in Gailic. Another form of the word (after a quick google) is a combination of the word Luchorpan which means small person and a word meaning shoe maker.
The other link is through Cognate theory and Irish Folklore.
Cognate theory is the idea that because Celtic languages come from a single fountain head (continental Celtic), their similarity would have facilitated a high level of trade among the remaning *celtic* nations leading to cultural cross polination. Thus creating (to a degree) a homogenous celtic culture.
In Irish folklore leprechauns vary in name and description according to region. In Leinster its called a leprechaun, in Connaught its called a Far-darg (red man) and in Munster its called a leath-bhrógan (one shoe). Its the Leath Bhrogan (4) that lends itself to cognate theory because of the shoemaking element.
Some inscribed coins from Osma, in the Iberian penninsula in Spain (5), were offered by a guild of shoemakers as a dedication to 'Lugoves' which some think is a plural of Lugus and the coins have pictures that look like Lugus on the back.
And Lleu in the mabinogi(6) gets his name when posing as a shoemaker Lleu Llaw Gyffes possibly Bright one of the deft hand(7).
QUOTE
Thereupon behold a wren stood upon the deck of the boat, and the boy shot at it, and hit it in the leg between the sinew and the bone. Then she smiled. "Verily," said she, "with a steady hand did the lion aim at it." "Heaven reward thee not, but now has he got a name. And a good enough name it is. Llew Llaw Gyffes 424a be he called henceforth
my problem with cognate theory is Ireland didnt only trade with Wales, we traded with the vikings and were influenced by them the welsh traded with the Romans and were influenced by them so the Idea of our cultures being in any way homogenous is out the window for me.
I like welsh people and spanish people but Im not welsh and definately not spanish. So since leprechauns are specifically Irish and Lugh isnt mentioned as anything to do with shoes in Irish legend I dont buy it.
(1) Celtic Myths and Legends by Peter Berresford Ellis
http://www.amazon.com/Celtic-Myths-Legends...d/dp/0786711078
(2) A Brief History of the Druids by Peter Berresford Ellis
http://www.amazon.com/Brief-History-Druids...d/dp/0786709871
(3) The Adventure of Fergus mac Léti
http://www.hastings.edu/academic/english/K...s_mac_Leti.html
(4) Clever Tom and the Leprechaun : The Fairy Mythology: Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various Countries by Thomas Keightley: 1870
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/tfm/tfm133.htm
(5) Celtic Gods of the Iberian Peninsula by Juan Carlos Olivares Pedreño, University of Alicante
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/celtic/ekeltoi/vol...vares_6_12.html
(6)Math son of Mathonwy from The Mabinogion by Lady Charlotte Guest
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/mab/mab26.htm
(7) Wiki etymology of Lleu Llaw Gyffes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lleu#Lleu_in_the_Mabinogi