leanabh
/ˈʎãnu/masculine
The Gaelic word for baby is leanabh. Wiktionary also lists leanaban and naoidhean.
Meaning: very young human being (noun)
Ways to say it
| Gaelic | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| leanabh | /ˈʎãnu/ (Lewis) /ˈʎanəv/ |
masculine |
| leanaban | masculine | |
| naoidhean | /ˈn̪ˠɤ̃ĩʝan/ /ˈn̪ˠũĩʝɛɲ/ |
masculine |
The term refers to a very young human being. While you might use the word leanabh for an infant, note that baba is specifically used when referring to a doll or a toy baby.
Which one should you use?
The forms provided serve different grammatical purposes. leanabh and leanaban are masculine, while naoidhean is the plural form used to refer to multiple babies.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Scotland, the phrase leanabh beag may be used to refer to a baby.
How does it change in a sentence?
leanabh is the nominative singular form, which is used when the baby is the subject of the sentence. The plural form of the word is naoidhean.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʎãnu/
When do people say it?
As a term of endearment, the word Uan (meaning lamb) is sometimes used as a pet name for babies.
Did you know?
- The language uses entirely different root words for the singular leanabh and the plural naoidhean.
- The masculine form leanaban is often used in traditional Gaelic songs and poetry to describe a beautiful youth, moving beyond the meaning of a literal infant.
- The word leanabh comes from the Old Irish word lenab.
Examples in context
- Tha an leanabh a' sianadh.The baby is crying.
- Tha an leanabh snog.The baby is cute.
Example conversation
Isla and Hamish are looking at a photo.
- IslaSeall air an leanabh beag seo!Look at this little baby!
- HamishO, tha e cho goirde.Oh, he is so cute.
- IslaTha an leanabh coltach riatse, a Hamish.The baby looks like you, Hamish.
- HamishTha mi an dòchas!I hope so!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “baby” translations and entries leanabh, leanaban, naoidhean, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries leanaban, leanabh, naoidhean, CC BY-SA 4.0.
