nighean
/ˈɲĩ.un/feminine
The Gaelic word for daughter is nighean.
nighean is a feminine noun used to refer to a female offspring.
Meaning: female offspring (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
nighean is the nominative form, which is used when the word acts as the subject of a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɲĩ.un/.
Did you know?
- The word nighean shares the same ancient root as the Latin word indigena, which means 'native'. Both words originate from a root meaning 'to produce' or 'give birth'.
- While nighean refers to a daughter, the closely related term nighean-òg is often used as a term of endearment for a young girl or a daughter.
- In some dialects, the pronunciation of nighean can shift significantly, making it sound more like 'neen' than the standard two-syllable pronunciation.
Examples in context
- Tha balach agus nighean aig Tòmas.Tom has a son and a daughter.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use nighean to describe a person's children.Tatoeba #5883794 by Catriona, translation #5272446 by CK
- Tha nighean òg aig Calum.Calum has a young daughter.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mairead and Hamish are talking about their families.
- MaireadA bheil nighean agad, a Hamish?Do you have a daughter, Hamish?
- HamishTha, tha nighean bheag agam.Yes, I have a little daughter.
- MaireadDè an ainm a th' aice?What is her name?
- HamishIs e Anna an ainm a th' aice.Her name is Anna.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “daughter” translations and entries nighean, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nighean, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
