A sept is a division of a family, especially a division of a clan. A family of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in 1997 A family is a domestic group of people, or a number of domestic groups, typically affiliated by birth or marriage, or by comparable legal relationships including domestic partnership, adoption, surname and in some cases ownership (as was the case in the Roman... A clan is a group of people united by kinship and descent, which is defined by perceived descent from a common ancestor. ...

The term is more often found in Ireland than in Scotland, and was in widespread use as late as the 18th century. It derives from the word sliocht, meaning seed, indicating the descendants of a person (i.e., Sliocht Brian Mac Diarmata, the descendants of Brian Mac Dermot). It became Anglicized as Sil.

It was used within the context of a family or clan, all who bore the same surname, as a manner of distinguishing one group from another. For example: a family called Mac In Bard (Anglicized as Ward) might be divided into septs such as Sil Sean mac Brian, Sil Conchobhar Og, Sil Sen Conn, Sil Cu Connacht. All of these individual lines might further sub-divide into still more septs, which in turn sometimes led to a new surname, and/or the emergence of the family concerned as a clan in their own right.

In Scotland, a sept is often a family that is absorbed into a larger clan for mutual benefit. For example, the Burns family sept was absorbed into the Campbell clan. The Burns family being very small and of questionable heritage gained legitimacy and protection and the Campbell clan absorbed a potential rival for British affection in Scotland. Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the UK Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... Clan Campbell is one of the largest Highland Scottish clans. ...

Septs have rights to wear clan tartans although they often have tartans of their own. A tartan is a specific woven pattern that often signifies a particular Scottish clan in the modern era. ...