teaghlach

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish teglach (“household, family, following”). Akin to both teach (“house”) and slua (“army; crowd”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtʲəil̪ˠəx/, /ˈtʲəilˠəx/
• (Connemara) IPA^(key): /ˈtʲæːl̪ˠəx/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈtʲɨ̞ɣəlˠa(x)/, /ˈtʲɨ̞ɣəl̪ˠa(x)/

Noun

teaghlach m (genitive singular teaghlaigh, nominative plural teaghlaigh)

1. immediate family
2. household

Usage notes

• The Irish version of the Irish Constitution uses the term teaghlach when the English version uses the term 'family', which some people argue is a proof that the Irish constitution does not exclude same-gender couples or adopted children from its definition of family founded on marriage (Article 41). The Irish version of the Constitution is used to explicate the English meaning when uncertain. The household, as opposed to the clan, does not need to imply a blood relation.

  1937, Bunreacht na hÉireann, An Teaghlach, Airteagal 41.3.1°

  Ós ar an bPósadh atá an Teaghlach bunaithe gabhann an Stát air féin coimirce faoi leith a dhéanamh ar ord an phósta agus é a chosaint ar ionsaí.

  The State pledges itself to guard with special care the institution of Marriage, on which the Family is founded, and to protect it against attack.

Declension

Declension of teaghlach (first declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative teaghlach teaghlaigh vocative a theaghlaigh a theaghlacha genitive teaghlaigh teaghlach dative teaghlach teaghlaigh forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an teaghlach na teaghlaigh genitive an teaghlaigh na dteaghlach dative leis an teaghlach don teaghlach leis na teaghlaigh

Derived terms

• An Naomhtheaghlach m (“the Holy Family”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of teaghlach

radical	lenition	eclipsis
teaghlach	theaghlach	dteaghlach

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “teaghlach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “teglach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish teglach (teg + slóg).

Pronunciation

• (Uist) IPA^(key): /ˈtʃʰoːl̪ˠəx/
• (Skye) IPA^(key): /ˈtʃʰɤɣl̪ˠəx/

Noun

teaghlach m (genitive singular teaghlaich, plural teaghlaichean)

1. family, household

   Tha teaghlach math a’ fuireach anns an taigh sin. ― There is a good family living in that house. (literally, “A good family is residing in that house.”)

2. house (genealogy)
3. By extension: clan, tribe, race, progeny
4. (obsolete) house, dwelling

Derived terms

• cuid-oidhche le teaghlach (“homestay”)
• dotair-teaghlaich (“general practitioner, GP”)
• teaghlach farsaing (“extended family”)
• (poetic) teaghlach na gréine (“the solar system”, literally “the sun's family”)
• teaghlach rìoghail (“royal family”)

Mutation

Mutation of teaghlach

radical	lenition
teaghlach	theaghlach

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Scottish Gaelic.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Edward Dwelly (1911) “teaghlach”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎^[1], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “teglach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language