childer

English

Etymology

From Middle English childer, childre, from Old English ċildra, ċildru.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃɪldə(ɹ)/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

Noun

childer

1. (Ireland, obsolete elsewhere) plural of child
   • 1906, Halliwell Sutcliffe, A Benedick in Arcady:

     Parents, I've noticed, have a trick of saying their prayers through their childer on weathersome days.

Noun

childer (plural childers)

1. (Ireland, Northern England) A child.
   • 1839, Abel BYWATER, The Sheffield Dialect. [A Series of Papers in that Dialect, with a Glossary.], page 223:

     As yo ma be quoit shure where there's agret family a childer, a wumman's loik tubbe varra throng ina monin

   • 1894, Emily Lawless, Maelcho: A Sixteenth Century Narrative:

     Aye has he, Dan'l Drax, so do ee larn him what cums to they as lets off rebels. He be safter nor turnips, nor boiled turnips, so he be. Was blubberin' while back over yon rebel an'a childer !

   • 1899, Frederick R. Smith, Doxie Dent: A Clog-shop Chronicle:

     Ay, a childer's class, tha' knows — a Katty — Katty — Aw dunna know wot they caw'n it.

   • 2003 September 13, Guy King, “Re: Hi from Kran”, in uk.rec.sheds‎^[1] (Usenet):

     Yebbut...she ain't a childer any more...she's stuck in no-mans-land for the next few years.

Related terms

• Childermas

Further reading

• Merriam-Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged Accessed 23 Feb. 2006.
• The O'Byrne Files, "Dublin Slang Dictionary" Accessed 23 Feb. 2006.

Anagrams

• chirled, eldrich

Middle English

Noun

childer

1. Alternative form of childre

Derived terms

• Childermasse