"Mo chlann nó do chlann?"

Translation: My children or your children?

[SiobhanLee3]

Ive been learning irish in Ireland for a good 12 years and chlann always meant family? Children has always been páistí. Maybe its different outside of Munster irish?

[Machnoir]

I think Dublin schools use 'clann' to mean family, getting pupils/kids to use it when describing family size.

But I think this may likely be a mistake and 'clann' would be used specifically by the parent to describe the family, and not the child. When I learnt a little Irish in Galway (instead of Dublin), 'this seemed the way. It was more appropriate to use 'muintir' or 'teaghlach', to talk about family or your household.

I guess it makes sense when you consider 'the Children of Lir' - here, clann could mean children/clan/family, but most appropriately, it relates to family and specifically the offspring of parents.

[DSDragon]

I thought the word for children was páistí (please forgive me if i have the accents in the wrong places). Why is it suddenly using "chlann?"

[galaxyrocker]

Because clann means 'family' in the sense of 'children' páistí should be acceptable as well, though

[DSDragon]

Thanks. What's the word for "family" in terms of those in your generation and older then? Also chlann, or something else?

[galaxyrocker]

No, clann wouldn't be used. teaghlach or muintir would be much more common.

[DSDragon]

Is there a specific difference between those two terms, or are they interchangeable?

[RoCabrach]

Clann is your children, teaghlach is more the household and muintir would be the extended. Though you can also have muintir na hÉirinn (the people of Ireland) so its not literal. Páistí are children in general (clann referring specifically to your own children)

[galaxyrocker]

I'd say muintir is more of an extended sense of 'family'. It can be used for 'people' as well.