seanathair
/ˈʃanˠahəɾʲ/masculine
The Irish word for grandfather is seanathair. Wiktionary also lists athair críonna.
Meaning: grandfather (from either side) (noun)
Ways to say it
| Irish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| seanathair | /ˈʃanˠahəɾʲ/ | masculine |
| athair críonna | /ˈɑhəɾʲ ˈcɾʲiːn̪ˠə/ (Munster, word by word) | masculine |
The term is used to refer to a grandfather from either the maternal or paternal side.
What does it mean word for word?
The word seanathair literally translates to 'old father'.
Which one should you use?
While seanathair is the standard, most common word for grandfather, athair críonna is a more poetic or formal way to refer to one.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used with the definite article an, the first letter of seanathair remains unchanged, resulting in an seanathair.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʃanˠahəɾʲ/
Did you know?
- The poetic term athair críonna uses a word for 'old' that literally describes someone as being 'withered' or 'decayed'.
- The component sean- in 'seanathair' is used in many Irish words to denote something ancient, venerable, or long-standing.
Examples in context
- Is é seo mo seanathair.This is my grandfather.
- An bhfuil do seanathair anseo?Is your grandfather here?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandfather” translations and entries seanathair, athair críonna, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (athair, críonna) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries athair, críonna, seanathair, CC BY-SA 4.0.
