# Familial Terms



## doctorcolossus

I was memorizing vocabulary from the page of familial terms in The Oxford Picture Dictionary, when I realized they'd made a small error, by failing to correctly indicate the difference between a _siostreniec_ and a _bratanek_.  Poles seem to specify gender of relations, including intermediaries, more finely than speakers of other languages.  I decided to compile a list of the more-complex familial terms I could discover in my dictionary (PWN-Oxford Multimedialny Słownik 2005) and through Wikipedia (pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relacja_rodzinna).  Since this list might be useful to other learners, I'm posting it here.  Enjoy!

*Familial Relationships/*_*Powinowactwa lub Koligacja*
_Great-Grandparents & Great-Grandchildren
great-grandfather: _pradziadek, pradziad_
great-gradmother: _prababcia, prababka_
great-grandson: _prawnuk_
great-granddaughter: _prawnuczka_

Uncles & Aunts
uncle: _wujek, wuj
_uncle (paternal [father's brother/brother-in-law]): _stryj _(archaic)
uncle (husband of parent's sister): _wuj pociot, wuj naciot_
aunt: _ciotka_
aunt (wife of parent's brother): _wujna_, _wujenka _(archaic)

Nephews & Nieces
nephew (brother's son): _bratanek_
nephew (sister's son): _siostrzeniec_
niece (brother's daughter): _bratanica_
niece (sister's daughter): _siostrzenica_

Cousins
sibling: _rodzeństwo_
cousin (aunt's child): _rodzeństwo cioteczne_
cousin (aunt's son): _brat cioteczny_
cousin (aunt's daugter): _siostra cioteczna_
cousin (uncle's child): _rodzeństwo stryjeczne_
cousin (uncle's son): _brat __stryjeczny_
cousin (uncle's daugter): _siostra __stryjeczna_
cousin: _kuzyn/kuzynka_
second cousin: _drugi kuzyn/druga kuzynka_
third cousin: _trzeci kuzin/trzecia kuzynka_

Inlaws
father-in-law (husband's father): _świekier, śwokier_
mother-in-law (husband's mother): _świekra_
father-in-law (wife's father): _teść_
mother-in-law (wife's mother): _teściowa_
son-in-law: _zięć_
daughter-in-law: synowa
brother-in-law: _szwagier_
sister-in-law (sister of wife or husband): _szwagierka_
sister-in-law (wife of brother): _bratowa_

Stepfamily
stepfather: _ojczym_
stepmother: _macocha_
stepson: _pasierb_
stepdaughter: _pasierbica_
stepbrother: _przyrodni brat_
stepsister: _przyrodnia siostra_

Twins
twin: _bliźniak_
twin-brother: _brat-bliźniak
_twin-sister: _siostra-bliźniaczka

_adopted: _przybrany_​Corrections and comments are most welcome.

Also, while searching for another thread I might have appended this information to, I found one with an interesting list of familial diminutives, compiled by *meta_fora*:
forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=772690

Since it fits into my new and broader theme of familial vocabulary, I thought I'd format this information nicely and repost it here:_matka_ (mother)
Modern Diminutives: _mama, mamusia, mamcia, mamuś, mamunia_
Archaic Diminutives: _mateczka, matuś, matula, matusia_

_ojciec_ (father)
Modern Diminutives: _tata, tatuś, tatunio_
Archaic Diminutives: _tatko, tatulo, ojczulek, papa, papko_

_babcia_ (grandmother)
Diminutives: _babuś, babunia, babusia, babuńcia_

_dziadek_ (grandfather)
Diminutives: _dziadzio, dziadziuś_​


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## mcibor

Yes, with small spelling error, that's correct.

Only 
Inlaws
wife's father: _teść_
wife's mother: _teściowa

_and coming out of usage arehusband's father: _świekr, świekier_
husband's mother: _świekra
_
Also for uncle is mostly used diminutive _wujek_
_wujenka_, _stryj_ and _stryjenka_ are rarely used nowadays

Very good list I must say


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## word_up

In terms of current usage I would limit/adjust the list (parts of which seemed bizzare to me, as I never encountered such usage) in these points (some were already covered by mcibor):


Uncles & Aunts[/U]
uncle: _wujek, wuj*(archaic)*
_uncle (paternal [father's brother/brother-in-law]): _stryj _(archaic - *but still used relatively often*)
uncle (husband of parent's sister): _wuj pociot, wuj naciot_*!!never heard* - use:*wujek*

aunt (wife of parent's brother): _wujna_, _wujenka _(archaic*-!!never heard*) - use: *ciotka*


Cousins
sibling*s*: _rodzeństwo_ *- never heard it used in singular*
cousin*s* (aunt's child*ren*): _rodzeństwo cioteczne_
cousin*s* (uncle's child*ren*): _rodzeństwo stryjeczne_
I guess you can use term rodzeństwo in singular in a rather formal context - but I haven't had to yet 


Inlaws
father-in-law (husband's father): _świekier, śwokier_*-!!never heard*- use: *teść*
mother-in-law (husband's mother): _świekra_-!!never heard[/B]- use: *teściowa*

That's how I would use it or heard it (in Kraków) - I bet there are family differences as to the traditions of usage, but being quite uneducated in these terms I give you what me & likes use or heard used.


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## NotNow

I can't imagine anyone using a term like _brat cioteczny _when it's easier to simply say, _syn cioci. _

My family is from the southeast, and we just call everyone _kuzyn_ or _kuzynka.  _It makes life much easier.


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## Piotr_WRF

Actually _brat cioteczny_ is quite common, unlike _brat __stryjeczny_ for example. But you're right, with _kuzyn _you can't go wrong.


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## fragile1

Uncles & Aunts
uncle (paternal [father's brother/brother-in-law]): _stryj _(archaic) - _stryj - brat ojca_
_I would not say it is very archaic, in my family still in used_
uncle (husband of parent's sister): _wuj pociot, wuj naciot_
_never heard in real life_
aunt: _ciotka, ciocia more often_
Cousins
sibling: _rodzeństwo_
cousin (aunt's child): _rodzeństwo cioteczne simple kuzynostwo_
cousin (aunt's son): _brat cioteczny simple kuzyn_
cousin (aunt's daugter): _siostra cioteczna simple kuzynka_
cousin (uncle's child): _rodzeństwo stryjeczne not much used_
cousin (uncle's son): _brat __stryjeczny not much used_
cousin (uncle's daugter): _siostra __stryjeczna not much used
_Inlaws
father-in-law (husband's father): _świekier, śwokier in used teść
_mother-in-law (husband's mother): _świekra teściowa
_adopted: _przybrany, dziecko adoptowane_

As I remember, there was in some Wladyslaw Kopalinski dictionary - _Słownik mitów i tradycji kultury_, every or almost every relationshipis in family. I remember one excellent: zeuwa, it is housband's sister. I think only my sister in low still use it 

What I don't see is 
Father and m other of son/daughter in  swat & swatowa


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## njumi

fragile1 said:


> What I don't see is Father and m other of son/daughter in swat & swatowa


 
Polish _swat _is usually translated as *matchmaker*.

I think that the usage of _swat/swatowa_ in the meaning of father/mather of son-in-law/daughter-in-law is reduced to only some parts of Poland.


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## kknd

As I remember there is an old Polish saying '_Ani mi on brat, ani swat._' which might be using the first meaning of _swat_ (He's no brother to me nor _swat_.)


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