LINGUIST List 21.1038

Wed Mar 03 2010

Qs: Etymology and Cultural Connotations of the Word 'Aunt'

Editor for this issue: Danielle St. Jean <daniellelinguistlist.org>

        1.    Rose Martelli, Etymology and Cultural Connotations of the Word 'Aunt'
Message 1: Etymology and Cultural Connotations of the Word 'Aunt'
Date: 02-Mar-2010
From: Rose Martelli <rosemartelligmail.com>
Subject: Etymology and Cultural Connotations of the Word 'Aunt'
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I am working as a researcher and ghostwriter on an upcoming bookfrom HarperStudio that will be a sort of parenting guide for the non-parent - aunts, godmothers, moms' best friends, etc. who wish to take ameaningful role in a child's upbringing. While most of the book willcontain how-to info, we will be discussing aunt-hood in its socioculturalcontext as well.

Towards that end, I am looking for a source who might speak to thefollowing questions about the etymology of 'aunt.' If this is you, pleasedrop me a line.

We will be giving proper credit and acknowledgments in the book towhomever we use as sources, the particulars of which would besolidified during the editing/layout phase.

The questions are below:

- Some languages don't have a word for aunt. Would you say this isnecessarily an example of aunts being devalued in those cultures?What are the usual thoughts, in the realm of linguistics, about what theabsence of a word or term signifies culturally?

- In the English language - particularly in the American and especiallythe British cultures - there is often a negative connotation associatedwith the word 'aunt,' even when it's used to describe something otherthan a parent's sibling. (For example, the British sneeringly referring tothe BBC as 'Auntie Beeb' because of its didacticism and fuddy-duddyness.) Are there examples in other languages and/or cultures ofthe word 'aunt' either being distinctly negative or positive inconnotation?

- In my research, I have read that most European languages use wordsfor 'aunt' derived from the Greek 'tethis' or the Latin 'amita' or 'tata' andthat the latter two, at least, mean 'rearer.' Yet an aunt is defined asbeing a nonparent; why the discrepancy?

- Is there any definitive answer to how one should pronounce 'aunt': as'ant' or 'ont'? Is there any sort of popular hypothesis out there as towhy both pronunciations became equally acceptable - or, do you havea personal theory about it? Is the difference in pronunciation traced tocertain parts of the world?

- Uncles have an adjective that stems from their title: 'avuncular,' whichhas positive connotations of kindness, geniality and indulgence. Isthere a word out there that is the equivalent for 'aunt'? (I've read that'nanny' is considered to have stemmed from aunt, or at least thatthey share the same roots.)

Many thanks for your time and attention.

- Rose Martelli

Linguistic Field(s): Anthropological Linguistics                             Historical Linguistics                             Sociolinguistics
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