(le Róislín)

As we approach two major holiday seasons, Lá an Altaithe (i Meiriceá) and An Nollaig (go hidirnáisiúnta), many people will be traveling great distances to spend time with their families (a dteaghlaigh).  So let’s take break from looking at leasghaolta (steprelationships), as we’ve done in the recent blogposts, and look at the broader picture  — téarmaí gaoil go ginearálta.

So here’s  fairly comprehensive list in Irish, with the English equivalents in the word bank (an banc focal).  I haven’t tried to include all the dialect terms for grandparents, as we’ve been discussing recently, partly since the list is already pretty long and partly since, in my experience, “seanmháthair” tends to be used more than “máthair mhór” or “máthair chríonna” for formal purposes, and “mamó” is more of a nickname.  I’m also not going to try to include all the numerous variations for the same term (“máthair mo chéile” for “mo mháthair chéile,” “mac mo mhic” for “mo gharmhac,” srl.).  Additionally, I’ve left out some terms which existed traditionally but for which there is a more specific word or phrase today, for example: using “deartháir leasghaolmhar” (step-related brother) for “leathdheartháir” (half-brother) seems unnecessarily confusing to me, especially when there’s a specific term, “leathdheartháir” available and the similar-looking word “leasdeartháir” means “step-brother.”    Adding all those variations would probably make this list at least twice as long.

Since a lot of these terms may be familiar, the “banc focal” comes second in the layout of today’s post.  You might like to see how many you can complete without checking the “banc focal.”  The freagraí, as usual, are thíos.

Gaolta Teaghlaigh

 

1	aintín
2	athair
3	athair baistí
4	athair céile
5	athair uchtála
6	col ceathrair
7	col cúigir
8	col ochtair
9	col seisir
10	deartháir
11	deartháir céile
12	deartháir uchtála
13	deirfiúr
14	deirfiúr chéile
15	deirfiúr uchtála
16	gariníon
17	garmhac
18	garneacht
19	garnia
20	iníon
21	iníon bhaistí
22	iníon chéile
23	iníon uchtála
24	leasathair
25	leasdeartháir
26	leasdeirfiúr
27	leasiníon
28	leasmhac
29	leasmháthair
30	leathchúpla dearthár
31	leathchúpla deirféar
32	leathdheartháir
33	leathdheirfiúr
34	mac
35	mac baistí
36	mac céile
37	mac uchtála
38	máthair
39	máthair bhaistí
40	máthair chéile
41	máthair uchtála
42	neacht
43	nia
44	seanaintín
45	seanathair
46	seanmháthair
47	seanuncail
48	sin-seanathair
49	sin-seanmháthair
50	uncail

And finally, at least for Lá an Altaithe (i Meiriceá), we could list “Tom Turcaí” as our “aoi oinigh” (guest of honor).

Creating this list has also set me wondering how we would indicate our siblings if we were a triplet, a quadruplet, or a quintuplet, etc.  None of the English terms sound very familiar to me, although Googling them, I find they do exist, reasonably abundantly:  triplet sister, quadruplet brother, etc.  If we have “leathchúpla dearthár/deirféar” for “twin brother/sister” in Irish, then in theory we could have “trírín dearthár/deirféar,” for “triplet brother/sister.”  Or would we literally follow the pattern of “leathchúpla dearthár” (lit. half-of-twin brother) and have ” *triantrírín deirféar” (a third-of-triplet sister)?  Couldn’t find any answers by online searches.  Hmm, food for thought!  At any rate, we’d still be carefully using an tuiseal ginideach for the brother/sister part — that accounts for the “-ár” and “-féar” endings.  No escaping the genitive case, it seems!

Anyway, whether you’re celebrating with your “teaghlach núicléach” or your “teaghlach sínte,” or a “grúpa cairde,” bíodh am breá agat leo, fiú má bhíonn beagáinín allagair ann ó am go ham!  — SGF — Róislín

P.S.  If you notice any key terms that have been overlooked, please do let me know.  I didn’t try to include every last possibility, like step-great-great-grandmother, but hopefully the modern terms for the main relationships are all included.

Nuashonrúchán (8 Mí na Nollag 2016): Cleachtadh (Practice)

a) Titles, Quotes, and Sayings in Irish to Practice Terms for ‘Daoine Muinteartha’ (Family Members), Cuid/Part 1 Posted by róislín on Nov 28, 2016 in Irish Language

b) Titles, Quotes, and Sayings in Irish to Practice Terms for ‘Daoine Muinteartha’ (Family Members), Cuid/Part 2Posted by róislín on Nov 30, 2016 in Irish Language

Freagraí

1	aintín	l)	aunt
2	athair	a)	father
3	athair baistí	w)	godfather
4	athair céile	pp)	father-in-law
5	athair uchtála	u)	adoptive father
6	col ceathrair (nó: col ceathar)	ii)	cousin
7	col cúigir	ll)	1st cousin once removed
8	col ochtair	kk)	3rd cousin
9	col seisir	jj)	2nd cousin
10	deartháir	bb)	brother
11	deartháir céile	qq)	brother-in-law
12	deartháir uchtála	ww)	adoptive brother
13	deirfiúr	aa)	sister
14	deirfiúr chéile	rr)	sister-in-law
15	deirfiúr uchtála	xx)	adoptive sister
16	gariníon	s)	granddaughter
17	garmhac	q)	grandson
18	garneacht	t)	grand-niece
19	garnia	r)	grand-nephew
20	iníon	d)	daughter
21	iníon bhaistí	z)	goddaughter
22	iníon chéile	uu)	daughter-in-law
23	iníon uchtála	tt)	adoptive daughter
24	leasathair	g)	stepfather
25	leasdeartháir	dd)	stepbrother
26	leasdeirfiúr	cc)	stepsister
27	leasiníon	j)	stepdaughter
28	leasmhac	i)	stepson
29	leasmháthair	h)	stepmother
30	leathchúpla dearthár	mm)	twin brother
31	leathchúpla deirféar	nn)	twin sister
32	leathdheartháir	ff)	half-brother
33	leathdheirfiúr	ee)	half-sister
34	mac	c)	son
35	mac baistí	y)	godson
36	mac céile	vv)	son-in-law
37	mac uchtála	ss)	adoptive son
38	máthair	b)	mother
39	máthair bhaistí	x)	godmother
40	máthair chéile	oo)	mother-in-law
41	máthair uchtála	v)	adoptive mother
42	neacht	p)	niece
43	nia	o)	nephew
44	seanaintín	m)	great-aunt
45	seanathair	e)	grandfather
46	seanmháthair	f)	grandmother
47	seanuncail	n)	great-uncle
48	sin-seanathair	hh)	great-grandfather
49	sin-seanmháthair	gg)	great-grandmother
50	uncail	k)	uncle