Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Uncle This, Auntie That

It is common nowadays to hear younger children calling male elderly relative "uncle" or "auntie" in the case of female ones.

Here are some examples of Hokkien addressing terms which sadly is slowly disappearing.

father's older sister 姑 Ah Kor
father's younger sister 小 姑 Suay Kor
father's older brother 伯父 Tua Pek
father's younger brother 小叔 Suay Chek
father's older or younger sister's husband 姑丈 Ah Thio
father's older brother's wife 伯母 Ah Mng
father's younger brother's wife 婶母 Ah Chim

father's brother's son 堂兄弟 Ah Hia
father's brother's son's wife 嫂 Ah Soh
father's brother's daughters 堂家姐 Ah Jee
father's sisters's son 表弟 Piao Tee

mother's older and younger brother 舅舅 Ah Ku
mother's elder sister 姨媽 Ah Ee
mother's younger sister 姨 Ah Ee
mother's elder and younger sister's husband 姨丈 Ee Thio
mother's brother's wife 舅母 Ah Khim
mother's brother and sister's son 表哥 Piao Hia
mother's brother and sister's daughter 表姐 Piao Jee

Your elder brother's wife 嫂 Ah Soh
Your younger brother's wife 弟妹 Tee Muay
Your elder sister's husband 姐夫 Jee Hoo
Your younger sister's husband 妹夫 Muay Sai
Your younger brother's son 侄子 Nephew
Your younger brother's' daughter 侄女 Niece
Your younger sister's son 外甥 Nephew
Your younger sister's daughter 外甥女 Niece

So the next generation of address will only get worse, as children get highly educated and westernised.


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