I’m reading Twelfth Night, where in Act 1, Scene 5, Olivia says to Sir Toby Belch:
Olivia: Cousin, cousin, how have you come so early by this lethargy?
How come she’s calling her uncle “cousin”?
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I’m reading Twelfth Night, where in Act 1, Scene 5, Olivia says to Sir Toby Belch:
How come she’s calling her uncle “cousin”? |
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Because the original sense of the word in English, per the OED, was:
Which also includes the following citation:
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A similar usage exists in modern-day slang (source):
I have been called this by two of my uncles (thus adhering to the original sense), and it is used intermittently between family members. I am not sure how widespread the practice is outside of gang culture–which I'm not involved in–but I can attest to its usage in parts of the U.S. Midwest. |
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