Irish Translation Forum

Hello,

I am translating a text with a lot of family relationships in it and I have been looking up a lot in the on line dictionaries. However, here is one I cannot find .. has anyone got suggestions?
It is “athair mór” ("sean athair" is grandfather and "sin sean athair" is great grandfather, so it may not be grandfather .. but my text is Mayo Irish)

And here is another query. In the dictionary, grandson is "garmhac", however I have come across "mac mhic" in the translation. This seems to be the grandson of a man. Is there a particular way of describing the grand son/daughter of a woman? What about the grand daughter of a man?.

And now, this translation has led me to make a glossary of about 50 terms which I’ve found on various online dictionaries - it is pasted below - just in case it helps others. Do you think it would be useful in the frequent translations section ?... unfortunately there are quite a few I cannot find translations for.

GAEILGE=BEARLA
? =mother in law
? =father in law
? =best friend
? =second (etc.) cousin
? =brides maid
? =sept
? = widower
athair =father
athair baistí =godfather
athair mór =?
baintreach = widow
bean cheile = wife
brídeach = bride
cara = friend
cara mná = girlfriend
clann clainne = grandchildren
clann, teaghlach = family
col-ceathair = (first?) cousin
daideo = grandad
deartháir = brother
deirféar = sister
fear cheile = husband
fiancé(e)= fiance
finné = witness (I don’t know if this is correct for witnesses at weddings or just court cases)
finné fir = best man
gariníon = granddaughter
garmhac = grandson
grandparents = an seanathair
grúmaeir = groom
iníon = daughter
iníon baistí = god daughter
leanbh baistí = godchild
leannáin = lover (maybe also girlfriend boyfriend?)
leasathair = step father
leasdeartháir = step brother
leasdeirfiúr = step sister
leasiníon = step daughter
leasmhac = step son
leasmháthair = step mother
mac = son
mac baistí = god son
mamó = granny
máthair = mother
máthair baistí = god mother
namhaid = enemy
seanathair = grandfather
seanmháthair = grandmother
sin seanathair = great grandfather
sin seanmháthair = great grandmother
stócach = boyfriend
treibh = clan
treibh = tribe

ENGLISH=IRISH
(first?) cousin=col-ceathair
?=athair mór
an seanathair=grandparents
best friend=?
best man=finné fir
boyfriend=stócach
bride=brídeach
brides maid=?
brother=deartháir
clan=treibh
daughter=iníon
enemy =namhaid
family=clann, teaghlach
father=athair
father in law=?
fiance =fiancé(e)
friend=cara
girlfriend=cara mná
god daughter=iníon baistí
god mother=máthair baistí
god son=mac baistí
godchild=leanbh baistí
godfather=athair baistí
grandad=daideo
grandchildren=clann clainne
granddaughter=gariníon
grandfather=seanathair
grandmother=seanmháthair
grandson=garmhac
granny=mamó
great grandfather=sin seanathair
great grandmother=sin seanmháthair
groom=grúmaeir
husband=fear cheile
lover (maybe also girlfriend boyfriend?)=leannáin
mother=máthair
mother in law=?
second (etc.) cousin=?
sept=?
sister =deirféar
son=mac
step brother=leasdeartháir
step daughter=leasiníon
step father=leasathair
step mother=leasmháthair
step sister=leasdeirfiúr
step son=leasmhac
tribe =treibh
widow=baintreach
widower = ?

best friend = dlúthchara
máthair altrama = foster mother
máthair chéile = mother in law
athair céile = father in law
athair altrama = foster father

athair mór / máthair mhór is Munster Irish for grandfather / grandmother
another word for grandmother is máthair chríonna, grandfather then athair críonna

Méabh wrote:athair mór / máthair mhór is Munster Irish for grandfather / grandmother

...also Ulster

you need to remember that there are pet names also.

particularly potent ones would be Daideo - grandad and Mámó - granny and I suspect garmhac is among those

col ceathar = first cousin
col cúigear = first cousin once removed
col seisear = second cousin
col seachtar = second cousin once removed
col ochtar = third cousin (in all these forms you can also use the genitive case: col ceathair, col cúigir etc)
baintreach = widow, widower
baintreach fir = widower
clann = sept
cáilín coimhdeachta = bridesmaid

GAEILGE=BEARLA
an seanathair = grandparents
athair =father
athair altrama = foster father
athair baistí =godfather
athair céile = father in law
athair críonna = grandfather (Munster?)
athair mór = grandfather (Ulster + Munster Irish)
baintreach = widow, widower
baintreach fir = widower
bean cheile = wife
brídeach = bride
cailín coimhdeachta = bridesmaid
cara = friend
cara mná = girlfriend
clann = sept
clann clainne = grandchildren
clann, teaghlach = family
col ceathar* = first cousin (genitive case = col ceathair)
col cúigear* = first cousin once removed (genitive case = col cúigir)
col ochtar* = third cousin
col seachtar* = second cousin once removed
col seisear* = second cousin
daideo = grandad
deartháir = brother
deirféar = sister
dlúth chara = best friend
fear cheile = husband
fiancé(e)= fiance
finné = witness
finné fir = best man
gariníon = granddaughter
garmhac = grandson
grúmaeir = groom
iníon = daughter
iníon baistí = god daughter
leanbh baistí = godchild
leannáin = lover
leasathair = step father
leasdeartháir = step brother
leasdeirfiúr = step sister
leasiníon = step daughter
leasmhac = step son
leasmháthair = step mother
mac = son
mac baistí = god son
mamó = granny
máthair = mother
máthair altrama = foster mother
máthair baistí = god mother
máthair chéile = mother in law
máthair chríonna = grandmother (Munster?)
namhaid = enemy
seanathair = grandfather (standard)
seanmháthair = grandmother (standard)
sin seanathair = great grandfather
sin seanmháthair = great grandmother
stócach = boyfriend
treibh = clan
treibh = tribe
*(in all these forms you can also use the genitive case: col ceathair, col cúigir etc)

ENGLISH – IRISH
best friend =dlúth chara
best man=finné fir
Boyfriend=stócach
Bride=brídeach
Bridesmaid=cailín coimhdeachta
Brother=deartháir
Clan=treibh
Daughter=iníon
enemy =namhaid
Family=clann, teaghlach
Father=athair
father in law =athair céile
fiance =fiancé(e)
first cousin =col ceathar *
first cousin once removed =col cúigear *
foster father=athair altrama
foster mother =máthair altrama
Friend=cara
Girlfriend=cara mná
god daughter=iníon baistí
god mother=máthair baistí
god son=mac baistí
Godchild=leanbh baistí
godfather=athair baistí
Grandad=daideo
grandchildren=clann clainne
granddaughter=gariníon
grandfather=seanathair (standard)
grandfather = athair críonna (Munster?)
grandfather =athair mór (Ulster + Munster)
grandmother=seanmháthair
grandmother = máthair chríonna
Grandparents=an seanathair
grandson=garmhac
Granny=mamó
great grandfather=sin seanathair
great grandmother=sin seanmháthair
Groom=grúmaeir
husband=fear cheile
lover = leannáin
Mother=máthair
mother in law =máthair chéile
second cousin =col seisear*
second cousin once removed =col seachtar *
sept =clann
sister =deirféar
Son=mac
step brother=leasdeartháir
step daughter=leasiníon
step father=leasathair
step mother=leasmháthair
step sister=leasdeirfiúr
step son=leasmhac
third cousin =col ochtar *
Tribe=treibh
widow, widower =baintreach
widower =baintreach fir
wife =bean cheile
witness = finné
*(in all these forms you can also use the genitive case: col ceathair, col cúigir etc)

Thanks to erigena, Niall Mór, Conor, Méabh,

An important side note: There is no simple word for cousin in Irish. Kinship is reckoned as follows. A first cousin is related to you through a parent who is a brother or sister of one of your parents. That involves four people- you, your first cousin, and one parent from each side. So by using the word col(degree of kinship) you call your first cousin col ceathar, or someone related to you by a four person chain of kinship. A second cousin is col seisir, because there are six people involved.