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Contents:
Intro
Dialects
Writing
Vowels
Broad/Slender
Lenition/Eclipsis
Names
Family
Numbers
Articles
Pronouns
Bi (is)
Poss. Pronouns
Grammar
Questions
Genetive
Imperative
Adjectives
Prepositions
Verb Classes

 

 

Irish Gaelic: Family

The word for family, teaghlach [tcheye-lah], refers to the extended family, or the household. There are a number of other terms for family and children.

teachglach househood, extended family
líon tí 'complements of the house'
muintir family, relatives
muintir an tí 'occupants of the house
mo mhuintir my folks
clann children of the family
mo chlann my children (not the general sense of my family)
an leanbh the children
an páiste the children

 The words for children in general is páisti or leanaí. Parents are tuismitheoiri.

It is not correct to refer to your family as your 'clann'. While this sounds romantic, it means you are referring to the children of your family, not your family as a whole.

seanathair grandfather seanmháthair grandmother
athair father máthair mother
uncail uncle aintin aunt
mac son iníon daughter
deantháir brother deirfiúr sister
nia nephew neacht niece
garmhac grandson gariníon granddaughter

Referring to your husband or wife:

an fear céile husband an bean chéile wife
m'fhear céile my husband mo bhean chéile my wife

One of the stranger things is that there is no single word for 'cousin'. Instead, the relationship is expressed by the degree of relationship.

col ceathar first cousin, lit. four people related
col seisir second cousin, lit. six people

 

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Irish gaelic - Notes from a beginner
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