And that makes me...
By ElicBxn
@ElicBxn (64169)
United States
March 13, 2010 11:15pm CST
I was talking on another discussion about my niece.
Well, at Christmas I got to meet one of her uncles and his family.
So, her uncle has 2 adorable little girls who just weren't sure what or who I was.
And now I'm wondering too.
My niece is their cousin, so my brother is their uncle - even tho he's no longer married to her mother. But because I'm their uncle by marriage's sister, does that make me an aunt?
I'm honestly not sure what sort of relationship we would call it here in the U.S. or any of the "western" world.
Now, I think in certain cultures I would for sure be an aunt. I think that would be the case in the Navajo culture (but correct me if I'm wrong PLEASE!) In fact, I think they would call any children I might have cousins as well - I guess technically they would be, first or second cousins or something.
What do you think?
7 people like this
15 responses
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
14 Mar 10
hi ElicBxn I think that you would be called an Aunt but I am no expert
and you did say niece so lets let you be the aunt as that sounds'
good to me.I think I have called that Aunt in someof my own family tree members. I am in Southern California by the way. and your children would
'be cousins too. I am never sure of how to designate which is second or third cousins,always need some help on that. he he.
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
14 Mar 10
Well, I think they would be second cousins if I had any kids - because my niece and they are first cousins...
I took an antho class in college and actually LEARNED that stuff - then the soci class went thru it again.
but I wasn't ever too sure exactly what the parents were called...
@minx267 (15526)
• Hartford, Connecticut
21 Mar 10
well, I understand your confusion. I have an Uncle who got married, Cathy was my aunt by marriage.. their 3 kids are my cousins.. and our family's have always been close with Cathy's family because they all grew up in the same projects together..
now Cathy's brother Rog is now dating my Aunt (my uncle's sister -both my mothers siblings) But I have known him ALL my life and I have never once called or thought about him as my Uncle.. But I have a hard time explaining to people who he is..
SO I understand where you are coming from.. LOL
@smacksman (6053)
•
14 Mar 10
I think the clue is here - 'My niece is their cousin'
If they are cousins then they are all nieces/nephews to you and therefore you must be their aunt.
In this day and age of people changing partners at the same rate I change my socks ( 
)I think we must ignore the step-brother label and call each other brother and embrace the larger family.
In parts of South Africa they have the delightful tradition that a child refers to any grownup as uncle or aunt as a sign of respect.
On the flip side of the record of life I feel so sorry for many Chinese who were subject to the 'one child' rule which, at a stroke, has wiped out the need for the words 'brother; sister; cousin; niece; nephew; aunt; uncle; and so on. Maybe they could just amalgamate families and get the words back again?
)I think we must ignore the step-brother label and call each other brother and embrace the larger family.
In parts of South Africa they have the delightful tradition that a child refers to any grownup as uncle or aunt as a sign of respect.
On the flip side of the record of life I feel so sorry for many Chinese who were subject to the 'one child' rule which, at a stroke, has wiped out the need for the words 'brother; sister; cousin; niece; nephew; aunt; uncle; and so on. Maybe they could just amalgamate families and get the words back again?
@commanderxo (1494)
• Canada
14 Mar 10
It's not THAT difficult to figure out.....
Females = aunt
Males = uncle
Why should THIS need to change?
cdrxo
@commanderxo (1494)
• Canada
17 Mar 10
A sort of "Second Aunt", by proxy.
But truthfully?
Nothing really.
cdrxo
1 person likes this
@scififan43 (2434)
• United States
29 Jul 10
this sounds so confussing to me. I am not sure what to think. I think first or second cousins maybe the case. I have some of them in my family as well, on my fathers side. if you get invlolved in ploigomy, it can get realy confusing. lol.
@scififan43 (2434)
• United States
29 Jul 10
I think it means friendly conversation.
1 person likes this
@recycledgoth (9894)
•
14 Mar 10
erm, please miss, I'm confused 
I guess aunt is about as appropriate as anything LOL
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
21 Mar 10
isn't that an "aunt once removed"?
i'm kind of confused about extended like that too..
i'm part native (not navajo),and basically my family calls women 20-40 "cousin/sister",40-60
"auntie",and 60+ "grandmother" no matter how they're related or not.
1 person likes this
@bellis716 (4799)
• United States
15 Mar 10
Just as long as you don't wind up being your own grandma - like the song.
1 person likes this
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
16 Mar 10
It is a tad confusing...(LOL) In my opinion if there are nieces and nephews involved I would call myself and Aunt if I was you because I fail to see it any other way. My daughter calls my best friend Auntie and she is not related to us in any shape or form so if my friend can be an Aunt you must definitely be one! Yep, it decided Auntie Elic it is...
1 person likes this
@cerebellum (3863)
• United States
14 Mar 10
I am not sure what that would make you. I think you would be a great aunt or nothing but these kinds of things always confuse me.
The easiest thing would be for them to call you by your first name with no aunt or anything preceeding it.
@danishcanadian (28954)
• Canada
14 Mar 10
In my family when we met a relative-by-marriage's sibling they were always "Aunt/Uncle's Sister/Brother," and we just called them by their first names. Since they were biologically related to the spouse of one of our relatives, we never called them Mrs. or Mr. because it would be strange to be so formal to one part of the family, and so informal with another.
1 person likes this
