Mac-, Mc-

Traditionally, the prefixes Mac- and Mc- (which are Gaelic for “son”) were used to form Irish and Scottish surnames.

• The surname MacDougall was originally a patronymic meaning “son of Dougall.”

In recent decades, however, the prefix Mc- has come to be used in front of everyday words to indicate a convenient, low-cost product or service, usually of lower quality.

• Drive-in medical clinics are known as McDoctors.
• A McMansion is an overly large, poorly designed home in a neighbourhood full of similar mass-produced houses.

The general name for neologisms coined in this way is McWords.