# Is there a generic word for niece/nephew, uncle/aunt? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 2, 2003, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-word-for-niece-nephew-uncle-aunt/205121 "2003-10-02T14:50:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TVGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/82dd89/32.png) [@TVGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-word-for-niece-nephew-uncle-aunt/205121/1 "2003-10-02T14:50:45Z")
We can speak generically of children, parents, cousins, siblings, etc. Is there, in any language, a non-gender spcific word like these to describe the relationship of a sibling to a sibling’s children? ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-word-for-niece-nephew-uncle-aunt/205121/2 "2003-10-02T15:12:54Z")
There’s a word (in German, I think) for nieces and nephews: _nefling_ (I’m not sure of the spelling). I don’t know of a similar word for aunts/uncles. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-word-for-niece-nephew-uncle-aunt/205121/3 "2003-10-02T15:17:55Z")
I’ve always liked the vaguely southern term “relations”. ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-word-for-niece-nephew-uncle-aunt/205121/4 "2003-10-02T15:36:33Z")
In English we can say it in phrases like “sibling’s children” and “parent’s sibling” ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-word-for-niece-nephew-uncle-aunt/205121/5 "2003-10-02T15:47:49Z")
nieces and nephews: niblings! Like siblings, but with an n! My brother made up that word, but I like it. I’ll have to ask him if he s come up with an aunt/uncle one. Possibly unnt? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-word-for-niece-nephew-uncle-aunt/205121/6 "2003-10-02T16:21:59Z")
In the law, any relative who isn’t an ancestor or a descendant is a “collateral relation.” ---
**Author:** ![Nichol\_storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Nichol\_storm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nichol_storm)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-word-for-niece-nephew-uncle-aunt/205121/7 "2003-10-02T17:16:04Z")
In Mississippi, they fall under the all-encompasing term “kinfolks”. I myself, living in a non-traditional family, found it difficult to clarify what I should call my aunt and uncle, who raised me. “Parents” wasn’t right, so I finally settled on “folks”. ---
**Author:** ![Jake4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bc8723/32.png) [@Jake4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake4)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-word-for-niece-nephew-uncle-aunt/205121/8 "2003-10-02T19:36:03Z")
Extended family. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-word-for-niece-nephew-uncle-aunt/205121/9 "2003-10-02T19:51:51Z")
They’re your second-degree relatives (first degree would be your parents, children and siblings). But that would also include grandparents. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-word-for-niece-nephew-uncle-aunt/205121/10 "2003-10-02T21:09:30Z")
How about siblings-once-removed? ---
**Author:** ![TVGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/82dd89/32.png) [@TVGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-word-for-niece-nephew-uncle-aunt/205121/11 "2003-10-03T02:13:15Z")
I knew I asked the right people. “ **niblings** ” … I like it. 'cause that legal term “collateral relations” just seems a little too, I don’t know, _military_ - and I can see telling friends, “Yeah, I’m taking care of my younger second degree relatives for the weekend while my sister goes out of town.” Yup. I like niblings. Thanks **Nametag** ---
**Author:** ![Conflict\_of\_Interest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/57b2e6/32.png) [@Conflict\_of\_Interest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Conflict_of_Interest)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-word-for-niece-nephew-uncle-aunt/205121/12 "2003-10-03T06:23:41Z")
What is wrong with neice/nephew or Uncle/Aunt? Is this a PC thing to you or do you just have difficulties telling the difference between males and females? Would you rather your parents introduce you as their offspring TVGuy or their son TVGUY. The first sounds a little cold to me. ---
**Author:** ![dakravel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@dakravel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dakravel)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-word-for-niece-nephew-uncle-aunt/205121/13 "2003-10-03T06:36:01Z")
Another vote for “extended family”. That’s always what I’ve referred to those people as, since they’re more or less one step removed from my “immediate family”, right? ---
**Author:** ![Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moo_the_Magic_Cow)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-word-for-niece-nephew-uncle-aunt/205121/14 "2003-10-03T08:25:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Conflict of Interest \* > \*\*What is wrong with neice/nephew or Uncle/Aunt? Is this a PC thing to you or do you just have difficulties telling the difference between males and females? \*\* Perhaps the OP simply dislikes the verbosity involved in saying these are my nieces and nephews when referring to his niblings. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-word-for-niece-nephew-uncle-aunt/205121/15 "2003-10-03T09:51:57Z")
we always used the term neicephews and auncles ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-word-for-niece-nephew-uncle-aunt/205121/16 "2003-10-03T22:53:48Z")
In Spanish the terms are gender specific, unless you use them in the plural. _Sobrino_ means nephew, and _sobrina_ is niece. But if you say _los sobrinos_, it refers to all of your siblings’ children regardless of their gender. The same thing with _tio_ and _tia_, which in singular mean uncle and aunt, but in plural mean all of your parents’ siblings. _Utterly thrilled that I can use my new found knowlege of Spanish – I’ve only been studying it for a month_ ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-word-for-niece-nephew-uncle-aunt/205121/17 "2003-10-04T00:43:36Z")
> [@](#): > > Sobrino means nephew, and sobrina is niece. But if you say los sobrinos, it refers to all of your siblings’ children regardless of their gender. Would you still use sobrinos if **all** your sibling’s children were female? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-word-for-niece-nephew-uncle-aunt/205121/18 "2003-10-04T07:51:25Z")
If I’m remembering my spanish right, las sabrinas would mean “the nieces” whereas los sobrinos could mean either “the nephews” or “the nieces and nephews”.