{"id":9122,"date":"2026-02-25T15:29:34","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T15:29:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/?p=9122"},"modified":"2026-02-25T15:29:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T15:29:34","slug":"childish-infants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/2026\/02\/25\/childish-infants\/","title":{"rendered":"Childish Infants"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Words for <strong>baby<\/strong>, <strong>infant<\/strong> and related things in Celtic languages.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/29882550@N02\/9874778545\/in\/photolist-g3APCv-4RsLNA-bcL4b-cZiEyY-6kqSxK-D8TUx-6euo58-9XKKCe-6HKRTM-sDLXd-MoVpk1-bcL48-njjGuk-M6Dwnv-4GfSC5-6MsqfL-Za38Wj-Hzkea-6qdb7E-fxPro-41ykh-3rqz7Y-crwky1-9PnR-6qdb81-7H2VFg-4yRUMq-3LnMzy-4VoVRL-8kQTgH-9vNE9K-26Qteb-81PfF7-8kU8JY-MGfuP-7NgiCX-9xXNYj-8MqR1u-27o1qVP-9xXNm9-3wnaav-amSsS-e3UL77-7ijZeg-ogoqq-e7F72a-377QSW-6QMv7Y-6wWyCH-9Xe5i5\" title=\"IMG_5631\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/3781\/9874778545_baf62fedf6_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"IMG_5631\"><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Words marked with a * are reconstructions.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Old Irish (Go&iacute;delc)<\/th>\n<td><strong>lenab<\/strong> = baby, child, infant<br>\n<strong>lenbaide<\/strong> = childish, puerile<br>\n<strong>lenbaidecht<\/strong> = childishness, childish pursuits, childish play<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>lenap, lenab, lenam, lenb, lenbh, lenabh<\/strong> = baby, child, infant; young man, youth, boy<br>\n<strong>lenb&aacute;n, lelb&aacute;n<\/strong> = infant, young child<br>\n<strong>lenbdacht<\/strong> = infancy, childhood, childish pursuits<br>\n<strong>lenbaide, lenbhaidhe<\/strong> = childish, puerile<br>\n<strong>lenbaidecht, lenmaidecht<\/strong> = childishness, childish pursuits, childish play<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>leanbh<\/strong> [&#712;l&#690;an&#810;&#736;&#601;v&#736; \/ &#712;l&#800;&#690;an&#736;u(&#720;)] = child<br>\n<strong>leanba&iacute;<\/strong> = child-like, innocent, childish, puerile<br>\n<strong>leanba&iacute;<\/strong> = childhood, childishness, puerility<br>\n<strong>leanb(h)&aacute;n<\/strong> = little child, baby, darling<br>\n<strong>leanbhaois<\/strong> = (age of) childhood, dotage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G&agrave;idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>leanabh<\/strong> [l&#810;&#690;&#603;n&#601;v] = baby, (young) child, babe<br>\n<strong>leanabhachd<\/strong> [l&#810;&#690;&#603;n&#601;b&#601;xg] = infancy, childhood, childishness<br>\n<strong>leanabhaidh<\/strong> [l&#810;&#690;&#603;n&#601;b&#618;] = childish, infantile<br>\n<strong>leanabhan<\/strong> [l&#810;&#690;&#603;n&#601;van] = infant<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>lhiannoo<\/strong> = baby, child, infant, family<br>\n<strong>lhiannooagh<\/strong> = infantile, babyish, babylike, puerile, boyish; girlish, infantile<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: unknown [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/lenab\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>p&aacute;itse, p&#257;itside,  p&#257;itsidhe<\/strong> = a page, attendant, child<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>p&aacute;iste<\/strong> [&#712;p&#736;&#593;&#720;&#643;t&#690;&#601; \/ &#712;p&#736;a&#720;&#643;t&#690;&#601;] = child<br>\n<strong>p&aacute;isti&uacute;il<\/strong> = child-like, childish<br>\n<strong>p&aacute;isti&uacute;ilacht<\/strong> = childishness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G&agrave;idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>p&agrave;iste<\/strong> [pa&#720;&#643;d&#690;&#601;] = child, infant<br>\n<strong>p&agrave;istean<\/strong> [pa&#720;&#643;d&#690;an] = small infant<br>\n<strong>p&agrave;isteanach<\/strong> [pa&#720;&#643;d&#690;an&#601;x] = childish, infantile<br>\n<strong>p&agrave;isteil<\/strong> [pa&#720;&#643;d&#690;al] = babyish<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>pait&ccedil;hey<\/strong> [&#712;p&#603;&#720;t&#643;&#601;] = child, brat, kid, (boy) page<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: from Old French <em>page<\/em> (page &ndash; youth attending a person of high degree), from Late Latin <em>pagius<\/em> (a servant), possibly from Latin <em>p&#257;gus<\/em> (district, region, countryside, countryfolk), or from Ancient Greek <em>&pi;&alpha;&iota;&delta;&#943;&omicron;&nu;<\/em> (paid&iacute;on &ndash; young child) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/p%C3%A1iste#Irish\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th>Irish (Gaeilge)<\/th>\n<td><strong>b&aacute;b<\/strong> = baby, maiden (<em>maiden<\/em>)<br>\n<strong>b&aacute;b&aacute;n<\/strong> = small baby<br>\n<strong>b&aacute;b&aacute;nta<\/strong> = babyish, innocent<br>\n<strong>b&aacute;b&oacute;g<\/strong> [&#712;b&#736;ab&#736;&#596;&#609;] = doll<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Scottish Gaelic (G&agrave;idhlig)<\/th>\n<td><strong>b&agrave;ban&dagger;<\/strong> = baby<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Manx (Gaelg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>babban<\/strong> = baby, babe, doll<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Welsh (Kymraec)<\/th>\n<td><strong>baban<\/strong> = baby, infant, doll, puppet<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Welsh (Cymraeg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>baban<\/strong> [&#712;ba(&#720;)ban] = baby, infant, doll, puppet<br>\n<strong>babanaidd<\/strong> = infant(ile), babyish, childish, childlike<br>\n<strong>babandod<\/strong> [ba&#712;band&#596;d] = babyhood, infancy, childhood, babyishness, childishness<br>\n<strong>babanu<\/strong> = to baby, coddle, pamper, spoil, cherish<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Middle Cornish (Cernewec . Kernuak)<\/th>\n<td><strong>baban<\/strong> = babe, child<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Cornish (Kernewek)<\/th>\n<td><strong>baban<\/strong> [&#712;ba.ban] = baby, baby doll<br>\n<strong>babi<\/strong> = baby<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<th>Breton (Brezhoneg)<\/th>\n<td><strong>babig(ed), baba<\/strong> = baby<br>\n<strong>babigour<\/strong> = childcare worker<br>\n<strong>babik<\/strong> = childish, babyish, puerile<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Etymology<\/strong>: from Middle English <em>babe, baban<\/em> (baby, infant), and\/or Old English <em>*baba<\/em> (a male child), from Proto-West Germanic <em>*bab&#333;<\/em>, from Proto-Germanic <em>*bab&ocirc;<\/em>. Words from the same roots include <strong>baby<\/strong> and <strong>babe<\/strong> in English <strong>baby<\/strong> (baby) in Dutch, <strong>baby<\/strong> (table football, baby, darling, sweetheart) in French, and <strong>baby<\/strong> (child, baby, small shot of whisky, tripod) in Italian [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/babe#Middle_English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>For other words for <strong>child(ren)<\/strong> see the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/2019\/03\/25\/cowherd-boy-child\/\">Cowherd, boy, child<\/a> post.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.japanesepod101.com\/member\/go.php?r=759259&amp;i=b0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/images\/banners\/banner_japanesepod.jpg\" alt=\"The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com\" width=\"630\" height=\"83\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Sources: <em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/\">Wiktionary<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/embed\/EtymologicalDictionaryOfProtoCeltic\">Etymological Dictionary Of Proto Celtic<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www3.smo.uhi.ac.uk\/sengoidelc\/duil-belrai\/english.html\">In D&uacute;il B&eacute;lrai English &ndash; Old Irish glossary<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/dil.ie\/\">eDIL &ndash; Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teanglann.ie\/en\/fgb\/ceann\">Teanglann.ie<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.faclair.com\/\">Am Faclair Beag<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikisource.org\/wiki\/An_Etymological_Dictionary_of_the_Gaelic_Language\">An etymological dictionary of the Gaelic language<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/dictionaryq.com\/gaelg\/\">Fockleyreen: Manx &ndash; English Dictionary<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mannin.info\/Mannin\/fockleyr\/m2e.php\">Online Manx Dictionary<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/corpus.gaelg.im\/\">Gaelg Corpus<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/geiriadur.ac.uk\/gpc\/gpc.html\">Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/lexiconcornubrit00willuoft\/page\/n5\/mode\/2up\">Lexicon cornu-britannicum : a dictionary of the ancient Celtic language of Cornwall<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cornishdictionary.org.uk\/\">Gerlyver Kernewek<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/devri.bzh\/\">Devri : Le dictionaire diachronique du breton<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/geriafurch.bzh\/fr\">Geriafurch<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.brezhoneg.bzh\/87-termofis.htm\">TermOfis<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5001128073855040\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br>\n<!-- Blog horizontal --><br>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5001128073855040\" data-ad-slot=\"1685480124\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Words for baby, infant and related things in Celtic languages. Words marked with a * are reconstructions. Old Irish (Go\u00eddelc) lenab = baby, child, infant lenbaide = childish, puerile lenbaidecht = childishness, childish pursuits, childish play Middle Irish (Gaoidhealg) lenap, lenab, lenam, lenb, lenbh, lenabh = baby, child, infant; young man, youth, boy lenb\u00e1n, lelb\u00e1n [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,39,16,26,81,19,20,44,21,83,3,36,22,6,77,37,7,27,71,78,10,67,205,23,43,18,14],"tags":[355,52,80,356,51,145,48,357,47,53,49,55,50],"class_list":["post-9122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adjectives","category-ancient-greek","category-breton","category-kernewek-cornish","category-dutch-nederlands","category-english","category-etymology","category-french","category-gaeilge-irish","category-italian-italiano","category-language","category-latin","category-gaelg-manx","category-middle-cornish","category-middle-english-englisch","category-middle-irish","category-middle-welsh-kymraec","category-nouns","category-old-english-aenglisc","category-old-french-franceis","category-old-irish-goidelc","category-proto-germanic","category-proto-west-germanic","category-gaidhlig-scottish-gaelic","category-verbs","category-cymraeg-welsh","category-words","tag-baby","tag-breton","tag-celtic","tag-child","tag-cornish","tag-etymology","tag-gaelic","tag-infant","tag-irish","tag-language","tag-manx","tag-scottish-gaelic","tag-welsh"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9122"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9122\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9126,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9122\/revisions\/9126"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}