Family words in Celtic languages

Words for family members and other relatives in Breton, Cornish, Welsh, Irish, Manx and Scottish Gaelic.

Key to abbreviations: m = male, f = female, mat = maternal, pat = paternal, NW = North Walian (used in North Wales) SW = South Walian (used in South Wales)

  Breton
(Brezhoneg)
Cornish
(Kernewek)
Welsh
(Cymraeg)
Irish Gaelic
(Gaeilge)
Manx Gaelic
(Gaelg)
Scottish Gaelic
(Gàidhlig)
family tiegezh teylu / týlu teulu teachglach (household)
muintir (family/relatives)
clann (children)
lught thie (family/household)
clein (family/clan)
lhoirran
teaghlach (family/household)
muinntir (family/relatives)
clann (children)
parents tud / karant parens rhieni tuismitheoirí ayr as moir pàrantan
father tad tás / tas tad athair / dadaí ayr athair / dadaidh
mother mamm mamm mam máthair / mamaí moir màthair / mamaidh
children bugale fleghes plant clann / páiste cloan clann / pàisdean
son mab mab mab mac mac mac
daughter merc'h myrgh merch iníon 'neen / inneen nighean
husband gwaz gour gŵr fear (céile) fer fear
wife gwreg gwrek gwraig bean (chéile) ben (heshee) bean
brother breur broder brawd deartháir braar bràthair
sister c'hoar hwoer / whór chwaer deirfiúr shuyr piuthar / siùir
uncle eontr ewnter ewythr / wncwl uncail naim
braar ayrey (father's brother)
braar mayrey (mother's brother)
bràthair-athar (father's brother)
bràthair-màthar (mother's brother)
aunt moereb modrep modryb / anti aintín naunt
shuyr ayrey (father's sister)
shuyr vayrey (mother's sister)
ben vraar ayrey (father's brother's wife)
athaireag / bràithreag (pat)
piuthar-athar (father's sister)
màithrean (mat)
piuthar-màthar (mother's sister)
cousin kenderv (m)
keniterv (f)
kenderow (m)
keniterow (f)
cefnder (m)
cyfnither (f)
col ceathar
ceathrair
mac braar ayrey (father's brother's son)
'neen vraar ayrey (father's brother's daughter)
mac shuyr ayrey (father's sister's son)
'neen çhuyr ayrey (father's sister's daughter)
mac braar mayrey (mother's brother's son)
'neen vraar mayrey (mother's brother's daughter)
mac shuyr mayrey (mother's sister's son)
'neen çhuyr mayrey (mother's sister's daughter)
co-ogha
mac-bràthair-athar (father's brother's son)
nighean-bràthair-athar (father's brother's daughter)
mac-piuthair-athar (father's sister's son)
nighean-piuthair-athar (father's sister's daughter)
mac-bràthair-màthar (mother's brother's son)
nighean-bràthair-màthar (mother's brother's daughter)
mac piuthair-màthar (mother's sister's son)
nighean-piuthair-màthar (mother's sister's daughter)
nephew niz noy nai nia
mac dearthár (brother's son)
mac deirféar (sister's son)
neear mac-bràthar (brother's son)
mac-peathar (sister's son)
niece nizez nith nith neacht
iníon dearthár (brother's daughter)
iníon deirféar (sister's daughter)
inneen vraarey (brother's daughter)
inneen shayrey (sister's daughter)
banta / gairghean / gair-inghean / nigh
grandparents tudoù-kozh nain a thaid (NW)
mam-gu a thad-cu (SW)
seanmhuintir shennayryn seann-phàrantan
grandfather tad-kozh
sira-wynn
keugh
sira-wynn
taid (NW)
tad-cu (SW)
seanathair / athair mór
daideó / móraí
jed mooar / jishag mooar / shaner / shennayr seanair
grandmother mamm-gozh dama-wynn
henvamm
mamm-wynn
nain (NW)
mam-gu (SW)
seanmháthair / máthair mhór
maimeó
grannee / mwarree / shenn voir seanmhair
grandchildren mibion floghwyn wyrion clann clainne cloan ny clienney / oe ogha
grandson mab-bihan mab-gwynn ŵyr garmhac / ó/ua (archaic) oe garbhach / gar-mhac
granddaughter merc'h vihan myrgh-wynn wyres gariníon oe 'neen ban-ogha
grand nephew gou(r)ni noy-gwynn nai bach garnia oe braarey (brother's grandchild)
oe shayrey (sister's grandchild)
grand niece gou(r)nizez nith-wynn nith fach garneacht oe braarey (brother's grandchild)
oe shayrey (sister's grandchild)
great grandfather tad-kuñv / gourdad-kozh tas-kuv hen daid (NW)
hen dad-cu (SW)
sin-seanathair shenn shaner / shenn shenn-ayr sinn-seanair
great grandmother mamm-guñv / gourvamm mamm-guv hen nain (NW)
hen fam-gu (SW)
sin-seanmháthair mwarree vooar / shenn shenn voir / shenn warree sinn-seanmhair
great uncle goureontr gorewnter hen ewythr sean-uncail / uncail mhór shenn naim bràthair-seanair (grandfather's brother)
bràthair-seanmhar (grandmother's sister)
great aunt gourvoereb gorvodrep hen fodryb sean-aintín / aintín mhór shenn naunt piuthar-seanar (grandfather's sister)
piuthar-seanmhar (grandmother's sister)
father-in-law tud-kaer sira-da
hwegron
tad yng nghyfraith
chwegrwn
athair céile ayr 'sy leigh athair-cèile
mother-in-law vamm-gaer dama dha
hweger
dama dre lagha
mam yng nghyfraith
chwegr
máthair chéile moir 'sy leigh màthair-chèile
brother-in-law breur-kaer broder da
broder dre lagha
brawd yng nghyfraith deartháir céile braar 'sy leigh / braar keeilley bràthair-cèile
sister-in-law c'hoar-gaer hwoer dha chwaer yng nghyfraith deirfiúr chleamhnais shuyr 'sy leigh / ben vraarey piuthar-chèile
  Breton
(Brezhoneg)
Cornish
(Kernewek)
Welsh
(Cymraeg)
Irish Gaelic
(Gaeilge)
Manx Gaelic
(Gaelg)
Scottish Gaelic
(Gàidhlig)

Links

Family words in Irish
http://www.phouka.com/irish/ir_family.html
http://www.namenerds.com/irish/granny.html
http://www.irishgaelictranslator.com/articles/vocabulary/relationships-family/

Family words in Scottish Gaelic
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:gd:Family

Words for relatives in Cornish
http://www.clarew.freeserve.co.uk/relatives.htm

Welsh Family words
http://www.forumwales.com/fwforum/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=962

Family words in other languages

Other words in Celtic languages

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