Clan
/klæn/noun
A group of people united by kinship or descent, especially a Scottish family or tribal group.
Did you know?In Scottish Gaelic, clan literally meant “children,” which is why the word carries such a primal sense of inherited belonging and lineage.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵenh₁-
“to beget, give birth, produce”
Proto-Celtic
PCelt
*klannos
“offspring, children, descendants”
Old Irish
Goidelic
clann
“children, descendants, family”
Middle Gaelic
Gaelic
clann
“children, family, offspring”
16th Century
English
clan
“a Highland Scottish family or household group”
Modern English
English
clan
“a group of people united by kinship or strong common interest”