Colleens

/kəˈliːnz/ noun

Definition

Plural of colleen; Irish girls or young women, or the word used affectionately or poetically to refer to Irish females.

Etymology

From Irish Gaelic 'cailín' (girl, young woman). The term entered English through Irish-English contact and became particularly common in 19th-century literature and poetry about Ireland.

Kelly Says

The word 'colleen' carries Romantic-era baggage—it was often used in sentimental depictions of Ireland by non-Irish writers, which is why some Irish people find it a bit patronizing or reductive.

Translations

AMአማርኛ
ኮለንስ
koh-lens
ARالعربية
كولينز
kool-inzz
BNবাংলা
কলিন্স
kol-inss
CACatalà
colleens
koh-leens
CSČeština
colleens
koh-leens
DADansk
colleens
koh-leens
DEDeutsch
Colleens
KOH-leens
ELΕλληνικά
Κολλένς
kol-lens
ESEspañol
colettas
koh-LEH-thas
FAفارسی
کولینز
kool-inzz
FISuomi
colleens
koh-leens
FRFrançais
colléennes
koh-le-EN
GUGU
કોલિન્સ
koh-linss
HAHA
colleens
koh-leens
HEעברית
קולנס
kool-ans
HIहिन्दी
कॉलेन्स
koh-leens
HUMagyar
colleens
koh-leens
IDBahasa Indonesia
colleens
kol-leens
IGIG
colleens
koh-leens
ITItaliano
colleens
koh-LEHNZ
JA日本語
コレンズ
korenzu
KKKK
Коллинс
Kol'lins
KMKM
កូលីន
koo-lee-n
KO한국어
콜린스
kolinseu
MRMR
कॉलेन्स
koh-leens
MSBahasa Melayu
colleens
koh-leens
MYမြန်မာ
ကောလီးန်း
ka-lee-n
NLNederlands
colleens
koh-leens
NONorsk
colleens
koh-leens
PAPA
ਕੋਲੀਨਸ
koh-leens
PLPolski
colleens
koh-leens
PTPortuguês
coleens
koh-LEHNZ
RORomână
colleens
koh-leens
RUРусский
Коллинс
Kol'lins
SVSvenska
colleens
koh-leens
SWKiswahili
colleens
koh-leens
TAதமிழ்
கொலீன்ஸ்
kol-i-nz
TEతెలుగు
కొలీన్స్
ko-lee-nz
THไทย
คอลเลน
koh-len
TLTL
colleens
koh-leens
TRTürkçe
colleens
kol-leens
UKУкраїнська
Коллінс
Kol'lins
URاردو
کولنز
kool-enz
VITiếng Việt
colleens
koh-leens
YOYO
colleens
koh-leens
ZH中文
Colleens
ke-le-ens
ZUZU
colleens
koh-leens

Ethical Language Guidance

Gender History

From Irish cailín (girl/young woman). Anglicized primarily as a feminine term; 'colleen' carries ethnic and gendered associations, often romanticizing Irish women in English-language literature and media.

Inclusive Usage

Use 'young women', 'girls', or proper names when Irish cultural specificity is relevant. Avoid 'colleen' in formal contexts; it can carry diminutive or stereotyping connotations.

Inclusive Alternatives

["young women","girls","Irish women"]

Empowerment Note

The term reflects Irish women's cultural identity, but its English adoption often filtered through male literary perspectives (Anglo-Irish literature). Modern Irish contexts reclaim the term on their own terms.

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