Sept

For other uses, see Sept (disambiguation).

A sept (/sɛpt/) is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish or Irish family.[1] The term is used in both Scotland and Ireland, where it may be translated as sliocht, meaning "progeny" or "seed",[2] which may indicate the descendants of a person (for example, Sliocht Bhriain Mhic Dhiarmada, "the descendant of Brian MacDermott"). The word may derive from the Latin saeptum, meaning "enclosure" or "fold",[3] or via an alteration of "sect".[4]

  1. ^ Clans and Septs of Ireland, RMK Research.
  2. ^ Woulfe P. (2010.) Irish Names and Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company.
  3. ^ "sept". Merriam-Webster. 2008. Retrieved 5 September 2008.
  4. ^ Editors of Webster's II Dictionaries. (2005.) Webster's II New College Dictionary, 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 0-618-39601-2.