My Great-Great-Great-Great
I was watching a news report recently about the discovery of Ida, a prehistoric (before recorded or written history) lemur that may be part of our evolutionary history as humans. The scientist reporting the news, who was not a native English speaker, used the phrase “Grand-grand-grand-grand-father” in answering a question about whether or not the lemur might be ‘related’ to human beings. (To be related means to share some genetic connection to another person or, in this case, animal.) I understood what he was trying to say, but that is not quite the correct form.
The father of my father is my grandfather. Logically, you would think that my grandfather’s father would be my “grand-grandfather,” but that is not how we say it. Instead, after your grandfather, you add the word “great,” so my grandfather’s father is my great-grandfather. What do we call my great-grandfather’s father? He is my great-great-grandfather. You continue to add “great” for every additional generation you want, so you could talk about your great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather (or grandmother, of course).
A similar system is used in talking about your children and your children’s children. Your child’s child is called your grandchild, and his child would be your great-grandchild, and so forth. I have a niece (my brother’s daughter) and nephew (my brother’s son) who each have children. What do I call them? Here things get a little confusing, because it is possible to call them my grandnieces and grandnephews, or my great-nieces and great-nephews. They would call me their great-uncle or granduncle. Great-uncle and great-aunt are much more popular, however, at least in US English. After this, you keep adding “greats” as you do with grandparents.
To review: If you are talking about your parent’s parents, you start with “grand” and then add “great(s).” If you are talking about uncles, aunts, nieces, and nephews, then you can either start with “great” or use “grand” as you do with grandmother/grandfather.
Now you may be asking: What about my cousins, the children of my uncles and aunts? For an explanation of that, see this page or take a look at the chart below (from Wikipedia).
English Terms for Relatives
~Jeff
June 4th, 2009 at 10:50 am
It is an interesting knowledge, but talking about of many years ago, I’m afraid is better to say and better to understand, to say “one brother of my great grandmother” instead of “my great-great uncle”, at least for me.
Surely we’ll have very few opportunities to talk about great-great-great-great uncle. Although if some ocasion we need to talk about it we can say “a relative of mine who lived many (or “x”) years ago …”.
If this scientist would have said something like that, for sure that he didn’t make this mistake.
Any way, thanks Jeff, because talking about my grandparents, (for sure I have had and I’ll have many oportunities) I didn’t know that I had to use “grand” for starting and then add “great” each step.
Regards.
June 4th, 2009 at 11:57 am
Dear Jeff,
I believe we are taiking family tree here. Intresting ,but honest,you got me all confused. Can we call the father of our grand father forefather. My guess is we can’t because I think forefather like ancesstor goes for all the predecessors. what about the descendants,I mean next in the line say two generations after us?
Thanks for the entery ,intresting ,as usuall.
June 5th, 2009 at 5:55 am
Dear Jeff,
I vividly remember you had the discussion about the progenies and ancestors in one of your geniuses English cafes. The thing Is I could not find it. Believe me, I scouted out (Thanks Jeff,and Lucy) but I didn’t find it. Anybody out there knows which English Cafee it was. Sorry to put you guys out.
June 5th, 2009 at 5:58 am
Genius
My inept(lack of,poor) English Knowledge always catches up to me
Sorry for the shortcoming
June 5th, 2009 at 7:31 am
Hello all,
In French, for great-grandfather, we use “arrière-grand-père” (something like “back-grandfather”)
But speaking of natives that are born after you, as children, nephew… , we use “petit” (little), so I find it funny that the child of your child’s child is called your great-grandchild – literrally, for us, it would be something like “back-littlechild”.
Thanks for your explanations.
June 5th, 2009 at 7:37 am
Dear Jeff,
I did as I said so ; I checked the staggering charts really mind-boggling,very educational though. Thanks for the effort Doc.
Your adept,intimate English knowledge helps us iron out our rough spots.
Thanks Doc,
Your humble student ,I really enjoyed the related article.
June 6th, 2009 at 7:47 am
Dear Jeff And Lucy
I know, I know,You are saying: No ,him again.I bet ,you are practising a voodoo to get rid of me.Please whatever you do ,don’t put a whammy on me. Truth, to be told,I know the fact that I frequent the Blog too much,but please count it as a token of appreciation,I mean it all comes from a good heart.All funny remarks ( who am I kidding? ) aside, I came up with something. Maybe we can say: the forefather of my great grand father was a native of ….
What do you think of it?, in a matter of speaking,we can apply it some how,can’t we?
P.S. I had no inkling ( author lucy) About the use of great infront of grand . I always used grand grand. I cannot believe such a blissful ignorance I was
Yours,
June 6th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Dear Peter, I think before I was always stick to the blog, reading and thinking about it, and what to say next time I would write on it. But your are still
much more fan than me and that is great.
Don´t worry about appearing so much as we are really amused with all your writings, I am talking about my feelings of course but sure you
have a lot of fans too.
The same thought you said now…..”he is here again”…….I have had so many times so don’t worry we are two who need the woodoo to get rid
of us both, but I can´t imagine Lucy or Jeff doing the woodoo to get rid of us or which ever who wanted to write.
Have a nice day Peter and go on, I have always a good time reading your ideas. emiliano
June 6th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Dear Emiliano,
I appreciate the words of commendations.
I am trying my friend (when somebody gives a compliment to a second party and the second party wants to show his /her modesty his or her usually says : I am trying) . You look great . I am trying.
It is my pleasure that you take the time to read my baloney(nonsense).It is very kind of you. I always go through my friends’ comments including you on the Blog,and I have to say I have learnt plenty from you guys.
In Fact,it is the beauty of the Blog that we can share our thoughts.
Let’s thank our dear mentors Jeff and Lucy that every time I am on the Blog, I get a kick out of it( enjoy it a lot)
June 7th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Dear Jeff:
Your explanation was great. It’s been a long time since I haven’t had the opportunity to write something here, but I read this blog because I learn a lot from you and from Lucy. Once again, thank you for this wonderful work that you have been doing in benefit of all non-native english teachers who have the wonderful opportunity to learn more from your webpage and doing it so. They have the opportunity to spread the English Language Learning throughout the world.
June 7th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
Dear Jeff:
After fishishing this article, all I can remember is “great-great-great….”, and totally confused by the rest, hehe..
While good to say the relative tree is much simple than Chinese one.
June 8th, 2009 at 6:50 am
Dear Raul,
If you don’t mind I am willing to add to what you shrewdly observed about the Blog,
Our dear profs ,as you mention, are doing a great job. I keep reading the materials, and they have profoundly changed the way I write ,and communicate . The word arrangement and the method they apply as well as the way they play skilfully with words all have created an efficient tool for learning English. I read the materials frequently,and my favourite word on the blog is a workaround, back in 2007. I have to add ,the transcripts,and The Learning guids have the same effect.
Yours,
June 8th, 2009 at 8:41 am
They are doing.
The applied method as well as…
My constant blunders remind me of the old adage “Haste makes waste.”
June 8th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
I am always confused about how to call the relatives and usually I don’t like those spanish words, either the english, for instance “sister in law”….cuñada, “daughter in law” … nuera, “mother/father in law”….suegra/suegro…..they are so ugly names to me.
I prefer to call the relatives by their proper names instead by their position among the family as I think it is more nice and warm.
But now the other side of the question as I like more the name of “abuelo” or “bisabuelo” in my own lenguage either than grand father or grand-grand father what it sound as a redundancy by all means.
One of my nicer words in my lenguage is “abuelito/a” may be because I haven´t when I was a child and always I miss them just a lot.
June 11th, 2009 at 5:04 am
Hi ! I was watching the news report about Ida , too .
I remarked the phrase “Grand -grand … father ” , too .
But , of course , I did not know it was wrong .
And the sketch with the English Terms for Relatives is great .
You are great , too .
All the best for you all ,
Tania
August 17th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
Ok. I can summarize the term for relatives to prevent you from confusing.
– Nephew : the son of my brother or sisiter
– Niece : the daughter of my brother or sister
– Great – grand father : father of my grandfather or grandmother
– Cousin : the child of my uncle or aunt