Genealogy Terms for Gaelic Learners

An avid learner of Scottish Gaelic - Gàidhlig - I have put together the following list of words that may be useful for learners of the language which refer to Scottish family history, and which may help to express genealogical concepts, terms and events a bit better. 

(Image: 1854 Registration Act, National Records of Scotland)

I will keep adding to this as and when, so keep checking back!

Genealogy

• teaghlach – family
• eachdraidh theaghlaich – family history
• sinnsireachd – ancestry
• craobh-ghinealach – genealogy tree
• craobh-theaghlaich – family tree
• leabhar-ginealach – the family history (as published)
• sloinntearachd – genealogy
• sloinntear – genealogist
• dualchas – heritage
• eachdraidh – history

• sinnsear – ancestor
• sinnsearan – ancestors
• sliochd – descendant
• sliochdan – descendants
• sìol – descendants, progeny
• gineadair – progenitor
• ginealach – generation
• clann – children

• ainm – name
• ciad ainm – first name
• sloinne – surname

• a' rannsachadh – researching
• rannsachadh – research
• a' breabadh an aghaidh nan dealg! – beating your head against a brick wall! (kicking against prickles!)
•  a' sgrùdail – investigating
• a' sgrìobhadh – writing
• a' leughadh – reading
• aithris – a report
• oraid – a lecture
• iris – a magazine
• artagail – an article
• leabhar – a book
• leabhraichean – books  

Family Members / Relationships

• màthair – mother
• athair – father
• mac – son
• mhic – sons
• nighean – daughter
• nigheannan – daughters

• piuthar – sister
• peathraichean – sisters
• bràthair – brother
• bràithrean – brothers
• leth-leanabh – twin
• leth-aonan co-ionann – identical twins
• leas-mhàthair – stepmother
• leas-athair – stepfather
• leas-phiuthar – stepsister
• leas-bhràthair – stepbrother
• uchd-mhac – adopted son
• uchd-nighean – adopted daughter
• uchd-leanabh – adopted child
• co-dhalta – foster sibling/foster brother
• ban-dalta or nighean-dalta – foster daughter
• dalta – foster son
• uime or muime – foster mother
• oid' altraim – foster father
• co-ogha – first cousin
• co-oghaichean – first cousins
• dà-ghlùn or iar-ogha sinn-seanar – second cousin
• fionn-ogha sinn-sinn-seanair – third cousin

• seanmhair – grandmother
• sinn-seanmhair – great grandmother
• sinn-sinn-seanmhair – great great grandmother
• seanair – grandfather
• sinn-seanair – great grandfather
• sinn-sinn-seanair – great great grandfather
• ogha – grandchild/grandson
• iar-ogha – great grandchild/grandson
• ion-ogha or gar-ogha – great great grandchild/grandson
• ban-ogha or ian-bhan-ogha – great granddaughter
• ban-fhionn-ogha – great great granddaughter

• uncail – uncle
• brathair m' athair – paternal uncle / brother of my father
• brathair mo mhàthair – maternal uncle / brother of my mother
• antaidh – aunt
• piuthar m' athair – paternal aunt / sister of my father
• piuthar mo mhàthair – maternal aunt / sister of my mother

• bean – wife (also 'woman')
• fear-taighe or duine – husband
• cèile or caidreach – spouse

Birth & Baptism

• breith – birth
• rugadh e ann an... – he was born in...
• thoghadh i ann an... – she was raised in...
• co-là breith – birthday
• baisteadh – baptism
• baiste – baptised
• ban-ghoistidh – godmother
• goistidh – godfather
• sponsair – sponsor
• coitheanal – congregation

Engagement, Marriage & Divorce

• gealladh-pòsaidh – engagement
• èigheachd – proclaiming
• gairm or gairm-phòsaidh – banns, marriage proclamation
• dh'èigheadh iad san eaglais – their banns were called in the church
• chaidh an èigheach san eaglais – their banns were called in the church
• banais – wedding
• bean na bainnse - bride
• fear na bainnse - groom
• a' pòsadh – marrying
• mìos nam pòg – honeymoon ('the month of kisses'!)
• fianais or neach-fianais – witness
• fianaisichean or luchd-fianais – witnesses
• cuirm-bhainnse – wedding reception

• adhaltras or adhaltranas – adultery
• adhaltrach – adulterer
• sgaradh-pòsaidh – divorce
• briseadh-pòsaidh – divorce
• dealachadh-pòsaidh – divorce    
  
• dealaichte – divorced
• a' dealaich ri – divorcing
• a' sgaradh o chèile – separating
• sgaradh – separation

Death & Burial

• a' bàsachadh – dying
• marbh – dead 
• corp – body
• creubh – corpse  
  losgadh-cuirp
• losgadh-cuirp – cremation
• tiodhlacadh – funeral
• uaidh – grave
• cladh – graveyard
• tiomnachd – will, testament
• dìleab – legacy, inheritance
• oighreachd – estate
• neach-cùraim tiomnaidh – executor (of a will)

Civil Registration

• teisteanas breithe – birth certificate
• teisteanas pòsaidh – marriage certificate
• teisteanas bàis – death certificate
• teisteans uchd-mhacadhd – adoption certificate

• Sgrìobhadh-Cuimhne nam Breith, nam Bàs, agus nam Pòsaidhean - the Gaelic title for the 1854 Registration Act for Births, Deaths and Marriages

Religion

• Pròstanach – Protestant
• Clèireach – Presbyterian
• Eaglais na h-Alba – Church of Scotland
• Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba – Scottish Episcopal Church
• Caitligeach or Pàpanach – Catholic
• Achd Fuadach nan Caitligeach – Catholic Emancipation Act
• Eaglais Chaitligeach na h-Alba – Scottish Catholic Church

• eaglais – church
• seipeal or caibeal – chapel
• ministear – minister
• sagart – priest
• èildear – church elder
• lagh-eaglaise – church law
• seisean – kirk session
• clèir – presbytery
• oighre – heritor (also means 'heir')

• Briseadh na h-Eaglaise - the Disruption (1843)

Censuses

• cunntas-sluaigh – census
• cunntasan-sluaigh – censuses
• teaghlach – family, household
• ceann-taigh – head of the family or household
• muinntir an taigh – members of the household
• àireamhaiche – enumerator

Archival Institutions

• tasglann – archive
• taigh-tasgaidh – museum
• taisbeanadh – exhibition
• leabharlann – library
• comhairle – council

• Clàran Nàiseanta na h-Alba – National Records of Scotland
• Leabharlann Nàiseanta na h-Alba – National Library of Scotland
• Àrainneachd Eachdraidheil Alba – Historic Environment Scotland

Clans

• cinneadh – clan
• cinnidhean – clans
• ceann-cinnidh – clan chief
• cinn-cinnidh – clan chiefs

Land Records

• fiùdalachd – feudalism
• ranntannan iomchair – title deeds
• bann sgrìobhte – charter
  
• bann cìse – taxation band
• bann seilbh or clàr-seilbh– sasine (TBC, thanks to Michael Bauer for the suggestion)
  
• clàr còrach-fearainn - sasine (TBC, thanks again to Michael)
• luachadh – valuation
• cuairt luachaidh – valuation court
• Oighreachdan Arfantaichte – Forfeited Estates
• oide – tutor, foster father
• oideachadh – tutelage
  

Heraldry

• gearradh arm – coat of arms
• neach-taice – supporters
• àrdarc – blazon, armorial bearings

For pronunciation of the above words, try looking the words up in the excellent dictionary at LearnGaelic (https://learngaelic.scot/dictionary/), which also has additional tools, such as a thesaurus.

Don't forget the Scottish Gaelic Duolingo course is free to access at https://www.duolingo.com if you fancy learning some of the basics, whilst BBC Alba's SpeakGaelic course is freely available at https://speakgaelic.scot to help push you along further!