Quadraunts and Quadruncles

[dr_pretentious]

Dan's sister had her second child yesterday--everybody's fine--and someone congratulated Dan on being an uncle for the fourth time.

"Does that make you four uncles?" I said.

"No, that makes me a quadruncle," said Dan.

From which I concluded I must be a quadraunt.

I like the idea of coining new kinship terms, but really, this one doesn't clarify much that our culture needs, and it would make it harder to get by in high school French classes. Just imagine singing "Le Monocle de Mon Oncle" if you had to wonder whether you were hearing a person talk about a monuncle. Diuncle would probably get contracted to duncle, and diaunts might well become daunts--goodness knows, some aunts are plenty daunting. Worst, though, a person with nieces and nephews adding up to nine would be a nonuncle--too easily confused, if only in the pronunciation, with a non-uncle.

On the other hand, some of us would get to have, or be, dodecauncles, and that's hard to resist.

Comments

[jasminewind.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine knew that "aunt" in Hebrew was doda and mixed her Spanish skills (which were much greater despite her Jewish identity) to extrapolate that "uncle" must be dodo.

It is actually dod but their 7.5 year old daughter still calls her dad's brother Dodo Mike. Not surprisingly, the term fits him quite well!

[vgnwtch.livejournal.com]

You know, you need to look over your child-related posts. You have several children's books mostly written, and they'd be huge hits.

[jasminewind.livejournal.com]

here, here!

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

I don't know if the child-related posts would work for an audience of children. An audience of parents, maybe, or adults more generally, but writing for kids is a whole other game.

[jasminewind.livejournal.com]

Go spend a couple of hours in the kids section of barnes & noble - you'd be surprised how many kids books have more for the parents than the kids actually get from the stories!

I remain steadfast in my belief that you have a grand future as a children's book author!

I love the way you think!

[doverider.livejournal.com]

I'd love to read a book of "Avery-isms"!! Just a hoot!!

[onyxtwilight.livejournal.com]

Sext-aunt, Sept-aunt, Oct-aunt... fun! :-)

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure I won't achieve quintaunt status--my sister and Dan's are both hoping to be done reproducing. I'm glad, though, that the new baby is a boy, so Gareth won't be the only one in his generation. I like to think that having three girl cousins to grow up with will help him get along with girls and women, but having a fellow male around who's close in age may matter to him at some point.

I was gratified to learn that someone has finally coined a gender neutral term for nieces/nephews, so that if you have a mix of both you can make a one-word plural to cover the whole brood. Nibling seems to be catching on, too.

[criada.livejournal.com]

I agree. I'm an only child, so my family consists mainly of my cousins and their kids and spouses. It bugs me trying to refer to them all as just "cousins." I guess there's cousin-in-law, and cousin-once-removed, but, meh.

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

The whole first-cousin/second-cousin/third-cousin thing, with its various degrees of remove, is useful, but not warm and fuzzy. A non-meh-inducing system would have to convey a general sense of warm fuzziness about cousinhood, I think, or failing that, at least whimsy.

[violet-moon25.livejournal.com]

Well, some cultures use the term cousin-brother (it has it's own word but not in English) to describe first cousins raised in the same extended family household.
But I find it kind of entertaining to explain the different extended family relationships in terms my 2 year old can understand.

[purpledice.livejournal.com]

Just wanted to quickly send a belated Happy Birthday! your way....sorry I missed it! :)

(And now the word "dodecauncle" will be swimming through my head all day...)

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

Birthdays always get away from me. I'm an equal opportunity birthday forgetter. The only reason I remember Dan's, Gareth's, and my own is that I need them for legal and medical forms.

I loved your mom's birthday card. It was Completely Charming. You guys always find the best cards.

[tracyandrook.livejournal.com]

then here's a Bleated Happy Birthday

Beeeh!

[kistha.livejournal.com]

Have I mentioned how much I've missed you?

Well, I have.

And, the book idea above is fabulous. I Agree!

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

It's looking more and more certain that I'll be out west for KJ's Iron Springs retreat, and I'll probably have the spouse and offspring with me. If we come out all that way, it'll probably be our vacation for the year, which would mean at least a few extra days in Seattle. Will you and dthon be around in late June? I'd love to see you.

[jasminewind.livejournal.com]

Did you think it would be okay to sneak into Seattle and not come down to Portland for a visit? I may have to stalk you up in Seattle! Lemme know when you know the details!

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

Could you come north to stalk us? Dan doesn't get a lot of vacation days, so I don't know that we'd be able to fit more in the trip than the writing retreat and maybe three days in Seattle. We'd love to see you!

The retreat is the weekend after FSG. Speaking of which, are you/y'all coming to FSG this year?

[jasminewind.livejournal.com]

I will absolutely be at FSG this year. We are likely to be visiting NYC immediately afterward, to see crepuscular in her highly fecund state so it is likely we won't even be West when you are in Seattle. But if we are, I am totally willing to drive up and stalk you!

[kistha.livejournal.com]

We could probably arrange something. I don't know that we'll be doing the retreat - but we'd certainly love to see you too!

And, since dthon's Dad is in New Jersey, someday we just might get to come visit you!

I don't have your email anymore (damn computer) so if you could give me a ping it's stelladashmarisatcomcastdotnet perhaps we can better plan!