Questions about kinship terms (words for family members).
47
votes
2answers
2k views
Is there a single term for “nieces and nephews”?
I find it handy when talking about my sons and daughters I can just say my children. It's nice to say nieces instead of sibling's daughters. I wonder if there is a similar term for nieces and nephews ...
18
votes
3answers
1k views
Is there an accepted rule for naming all of our various distant relatives (Kinship Terms)?
I’m going to the christening of my Cousin’s first son soon. What is the proper name for his relation to me?
2nd Nephew? Nephew once removed? Nothing?
Looking at the overall picture, whats the ...
16
votes
1answer
266 views
I was raised being called “sister” by my family. What's the background on this usage?
I was called "sister", as a replacement for my name. (Oddly, my brother was not called "brother.") I never questioned this growing up in the 50's in a rural area. It says much about the culture I grew ...
14
votes
4answers
2k views
When describing a person without siblings, should I say “the -” or “an only child”?
I understand the phrase "only child" means the only person born from or adopted by a set of parents in a family, or a person with no siblings. I often hear the term used as "an only child," which ...
14
votes
6answers
568 views
Paucity of words for relationships
Please refer the following questions asked elsewhere on this site:
Is there a word that means "the wife of one's brother"?
What is the relationship name of my wife's brother to me?
...
13
votes
3answers
364 views
What’s the parent of a clone called?
Let’s say X is cloned to make Y and Y is cloned to make Z. Is there a word that uniquely identifies X in relation to Y? How about identifying X in relation to Z?
12
votes
6answers
4k views
When does an aunt’s partner or husband become an uncle?
Being the youngest of five siblings, with relatively old parents, I’ve always referred to my aunts and uncles as such, even though in fact only one of each pair is a blood relative. It never occurred ...
12
votes
3answers
941 views
Where's 'in-law' in mother-in-law from?
I've read that it's somehow connected with the Canon Law, but I'm not sure. I'm really interested in finding the answer.
11
votes
6answers
3k views
Is there a more concise term for a long-term girlfriend/boyfriend than “significant other”?
I've been together with my boyfriend for around 9 years now. There are times when I want to communicate that I am referring to someone who plays a major role in my life, like that of a husband, and ...
11
votes
3answers
3k views
What's the term for siblings born 1+ years apart on the same day?
What is the term for two siblings born on the same calendar day, one or more years apart? I know there's a term, and I'd know it if I saw it, but I can't for the life of me remember it.
10
votes
7answers
5k views
Word for partner you are living with but not married to
What is a word for a person you live with but are not married to? I do not mean a room mate, but rather someone you are romantically involved with. From what I understand, spouse is someone you are ...
9
votes
8answers
771 views
Replacement for “brethren” to refer to mostly female group
The word brethren would generally be used to refer to a group of people which have something making them an integrated unit. To exemplify my point in case:
The Catholic Brethren...
My college ...
9
votes
2answers
461 views
father-in-law = step-father?
I've been reading Middlemarch, and came across a usage of father-in-law which, from context, must mean step-father. Later in the same novel, the phrase father-in-law was used as we would use it today. ...
8
votes
3answers
438 views
Is there a feminine equivalent to the adjective “avuncular”?
My brief researches only bring up the word "auntlike" to render the feminine equivalent of avuncular. Surely, though, and given the etymology of "aunt" [ < Latin amita -father's sister, old ...
8
votes
3answers
230 views
My family vs. my family
Is there any lingual way to differentiate between the family that I’m a child of and the family that I am a parent of? (I.e., the first family consists of my parents, my siblings, and me; the second ...
7
votes
2answers
3k views
Is there a word that means “the wife of one's brother”?
In some of the non-Latin-based languages that I know there is a special word for your brother's wife. Is there such a word in English?
Usage would be something like:
She is my __ (My brother's ...
7
votes
3answers
471 views
Gender-independent replacement for “fiancée” and “fiancé”
I can use child to replace son or daughter, sibling for sister or brother, and parent for mother or father.
What is the unisex replacement for fiancée and fiancé?
I don’t need it for speech, but for ...
7
votes
1answer
499 views
Where does gender attach in “brotherly/sisterly”?
If Leia loves her brother Luke, does she feel sisterly love (because she is his sister) or brotherly love (because he is her brother)?
7
votes
4answers
783 views
What did they call illegitimate children in Old English days?
I know that the word bastard in this sense appeard only in 13th century. So what was the normal term before that?
7
votes
3answers
878 views
Is there a gender-neutral word for [aunts and uncles], parents' siblings?
Brothers and sisters are siblings. Husbands and wives are spouses. Mothers and fathers are parents. Sons and daughters are children. Grandparents, grandchildren... but what about uncles and aunts, ...
7
votes
1answer
381 views
What do people usually mean when they ask “Do you have a family?”
When American people ask you, "Do you have a family?" does that mean "Do you have any children?" or just "Are you married?"
6
votes
2answers
1k views
Term for relationship to cousin's child [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is there an accepted rule for naming all of our various distant relatives (Kinship Terms)?
My relationship to my cousin's dad is nephew-uncle.
My relationship to my ...
6
votes
4answers
3k views
Origins of the word “mother”
Apologies in advance for this question being only indirectly related to the English language, but I find it fascinating.
I note with interest that the English words "mother" and "mama" have similar ...
6
votes
3answers
2k views
Meaning of “direct descendant” as opposed to “indirect descendant”
I know what a descendant is. A’s children, grandchildren and greatn-grandchildren are all A’s descendants.
But what does direct descendant mean? It is as if some of those people are A’s direct ...
6
votes
2answers
538 views
Word for parent of a single child?
Is there a word that means “a parent who has exactly one child”?
EDIT: I am asking for purposes of creating a computing construct. But if there were an answer that is clearly correct for another ...
6
votes
2answers
754 views
On the specifics of illegitimate children
Is there a feminine form of the word bastard? It seems like bastard is a word that’s applied to male children only.
6
votes
3answers
714 views
Word for grieving parents?
Is there a word that describes a parent whose child has died?
Along the lines of "orphan", "widow", and "widower", is there a single word for a parent who has lost a child (of any age)?
6
votes
1answer
2k views
Why is it “grandfather”, but “great-uncle”?
I know that there are six forms of this word, but "great-uncle" is most common ("great-aunt" has a similar graph). Why is this, if "grandfather" and "grandmother" are common?
5
votes
1answer
729 views
Word/phrase for parent whose children have grown up and left home [closed]
Is there a single word or phrase that means a parent whose grown-up children are not living with them?
5
votes
2answers
848 views
Is there a special English name for one’s mother’s sister’s son? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Family Relationships
My friend is trying to find out what is needed to apply for a work visa in Canada. You get extra points for having a relative with citizenship. ...
5
votes
5answers
644 views
Word or phrase to describe relation beween yourself and a step-parent's ex-spouse?
Is there a word or simple phrase to describe the relationship between yourself and a step-parent's ex-spouse? Particularly, I'm seeking to address the case when the ex-spouse is a parent to your ...
5
votes
4answers
15k views
Which is the correct spelling: “Granddad” or “Grand-dad” or “Grandad”?
Granddad or Grand-dad or Grandad?
Which is the correct spelling?
5
votes
1answer
239 views
What is the adjective of “daughter-in-law” if she is “the wife of my younger son”?
Here, I am confused. I cannot say "younger daughter-in-law" as the order of sons is defined by their age but we can't say that about their wives. So shall I say "my second daughter-in-law"?
5
votes
3answers
641 views
What should one call his or her mother-in-law? [closed]
We call our own mother "mum". What should we call our mother-in-law? In China, we call our mother-in-law "mum" as well. Do English speaking people feel comfortable calling their mother-in-law "mum"? ...
5
votes
1answer
6k views
Where do the words for daughter, son, aunt, uncle, mother, father, cousin, nephew, niece come from?
Please see Title. I'm not specifically referring to which language they came from... but if they come from something else. In other words, do they come from words with other meanings.
For example, do ...
5
votes
1answer
80 views
What is the relationship name of my sibling-in-law's sibling to me?
For example:
I have a sister named Charlotte.
Charlotte is married to Martin.
Martin has a brother named William.
Martin is my brother-in-law, but what is William to me?
4
votes
2answers
496 views
Word to describe gay people who are in a relationship with each other
Can I use these words?
A gay couple (not sure if couple can be used only for married
people)
A gay lovers (not sure if I should put s here or if lovers can be
used to describe two people ...
4
votes
5answers
2k views
What is the female equivalent for “uxorious”?
I know the word uxorious that is used to describe a husband who dotes on his wife excessively. What is the corresponding word for a wife who loves her husband dearly? I cannot pull anything out of my ...
4
votes
3answers
270 views
Usage — referring to my husband as my son's dad?
I received an invitation for a session at my son's (John) school. The teacher had asked us to confirm our attendance for the event. I wrote the following
John's Dad and I will be attending the ...
4
votes
3answers
4k views
Grandma and Nan, origins and differences?
What are the origins and differences between these two? Same for Granddad/Grandpa?
Why was there the need for the two different names?
4
votes
3answers
671 views
“Oldest son or oldest daughter”
Contract states
Upon the death of the stockholder his interest shall pass to the
oldest son or oldest daughter.
I am the oldest daughter and have a younger brother. Who gets the interest?
4
votes
1answer
322 views
“Son-in-law” or “son-by-law” [closed]
Why is there in in -in-law instead of by or something similar? Simon Jester, in his answer to this question, quotes the Oxford English Dictionary which says that it originally applied to ...
3
votes
2answers
12k views
What is the relationship name of my wife's brother to me?
What is the relationship name of my wife's brother to me?
3
votes
3answers
441 views
Is there a word for my ex-spouse's new spouse?
With modern high divorce rates, a lot of people get married more than once in their lives. Saying "my ex-wife's new husband" is a bit awkward. Is there anything more graceful?
I came across it in ...
3
votes
6answers
318 views
youngest of his siblings [closed]
I have a problem with this sentence:
He was one of the youngest of his siblings.
The meaning should be clear: he had many brothers and sisters, and he was one of the youngest of the lot, but the ...
3
votes
4answers
2k views
Name for relation between a man’s two wives?
What is the relation between the two wives of a man called?
3
votes
3answers
603 views
How are relative familial titles used for members who died prior to your birth?
This may seem an odd and morbid question, but I am curious about the use of relative familial titles when the family member you are referring to died prior to your birth.
For example, say my mother ...
3
votes
3answers
370 views
Term for one brother–sister pair marrying another?
While translating a book on the aboriginal people of northwest India, I came across a tradition of marriages, where one brother–sister pair were married to another brother–sister pair, as well as many ...
3
votes
4answers
227 views
Is “purse-lipped mother-in-law” an established word representing for a woman who is censoriousness and nagging about everything?
I found an interesting phrase, “purse-lipped mother-in-law” in the following lines of the article titled “The newspaper that rules Britain,” which appeared in New Yorker magazine, April 2nd, 2012 ...
2
votes
5answers
892 views
How can I know the exact meaning of “cousin” in a sentence?
How can I know the exact meaning of the word cousin in a sentence? How do English speakers distinguish between different kinds of cousins?
(Arabic distinguishes both the sex of the cousin and the ...
