Kith and kin
Suggest a CorrectionMeaning
One's friends, acquaintances and relatives considered together as a familiar social circle. Warm, literary or humorous rather than neutral everyday wording. Kith is seldom used independently today, and the phrase can encompass non-relatives as well as family. Regional use: Late-medieval English origin; now widely understood but old-fashioned.
Origin
Kith descends from Old English cythth, a word spanning knowledge, acquaintance, kinsfolk, homeland and related ideas of what is known. When kith and kin appears in the late fourteenth century, it could mean country and kinsfolk rather than simply two labels for blood relatives. The modern alliterative formula consequently narrows and reshapes the older contrast: kin still denotes family, while the otherwise rare kith is normally understood as friends or acquaintances because it survives chiefly inside this phrase.
Research Sources
Variants
- Neither kith nor kin
Usage Examples
- She invited kith and kin from both sides of the border to the anniversary dinner.
- With no kith or kin nearby, the new arrival relied on colleagues for practical help.
- News of the engagement spread rapidly among their kith and kin.