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Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

A Way with Words, a radio show and podcast about language and linguistics.

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term for a grown child?
Guest
1
2010/02/15 - 1:20pm
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I was visiting my grandparents over the weekend and my grandmother asked a great question: Is there a term for a grown (adult) child?

Ron Draney
721 Posts
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2
2010/02/15 - 7:54pm
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Y'know, someone should really put together a list of these things for which English doesn't have a useful word:

  1. a third-person singular pronoun that refers to a person of either sex

  2. a mature equivalent of "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" that neither implies too much or too little

  3. the in-laws of one's in-laws

  4. a plural of "only child", to simplify saying that neither of your parents had siblings

  5. a parent whose child has died (we have "orphan" and "widow(er)" for similar roles)

  6. an analogous term to "avuncular" for something that is "aunt-like"

  7. a single bovine creature whose sex is unspecified (best I've heard offered is "cattlebeast")

    8. Guest
    3
    2010/02/25 - 10:18pm
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    Single bovine:

    How about "beef"? I've run across references to X head of beef. Also Beeves.

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