kin
Your people; blood relatives and family.
Also called kinfolk, kinfolks.
Updated September 24, 2026
kin pronunciation
/KIN/
Meaning
Family, especially the folks you claim by blood or marriage. Rural Southern talk uses kin and kinfolk for aunts, uncles, cousins, and whoever shows up at the reunion. Next of kin is the formal side. Plain kin is porch talk for your people.
How folks use it
- “Half my kin still lives up that holler.”
- “She ain't kin to us, but she might as well be.”
Origin and etymology
From Old English cyn, meaning family or kind. The short form stayed everyday speech in the South and South Midland, where kinfolk and kinfolks are also common. Older English kept the same root in kindred.
Frequently asked questions
Is kin the same as kinfolk?
Close enough. Kin is the short word. Kinfolk usually means the whole bunch of relatives.