Hi all,

I'm starting to finally write "Closure", my final story in my next-generation series. I've had the basic idea in my head for a number of years but haven't been able to find the time to write until recently.

With the idea that the super 'auras' are going to extend the lifespan of the parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, I'm looking for suggestions for nicknames that an irreverent teenager could come up with for his grandparents and great-grandparents.

Here is a clunky example of what I mean - Clark and Lois - the great-grandparents could be Primo (male) and Prima (female) - for first generation - followed by Sam and Astrid being Secondo and Seconda for second generation, etc. However, this is as I mentioned above, a rather clunky example of what I want.

Somehow, though, that's not quite what I want. I want witty, irreverent but affectionate terms to use for the different generations without resorting to typing 'great-grandfather Clark'. First, I can't imagine who talks like that and secondly, I know I don't want to have to type it out in full very often.

Irene

Well, you could always use like Papa Clark and Nana Lois for them. And then Grandpa X and Grammy Y for the next generation.

Another route would be to use traditional "grandparents" names from other cultures and languages. Like Omi as friends of ours call their grandmother. (I think this might be German, with Ompa being for Grandpa.) One generation could be in English, another in German, and another in French or Spanish or Greek or Russian, or Thai, etc.

Great idea.

Taking your primo and secondo idea there are other languages. I particularly like Turkish. 1, 2, 3 in particular makes me laugh.

Bir
Iki
Ooch

(1-9: bir [1], iki [2], üç [3], dört [4], beş [5], altı [6], yedi [7], sekiz [8] and dokuz [9].)

I was thinking generational-based names might be both accurate and annoying if used by teenagers:

Baby Boomer
GenX
GenY / Millenial
GenZ / Boomlet

http://www.marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-six-living-generations.html

In parts of Pennsylvania, "Mom mom" is used to refer to a grandmother and "Pop pop" to refer to a grandfather.

So Lois, as a great grandmother, might be "Mom mom mom," or "Mom cubed." Clark could be "Pop cubed." Or maybe even "Corny," as a pun on the fact that "Pop pop pop" sounds like popcorn popping.

Disclaimer: I don't use "Mom mom" or "Pop pop" myself, and I'm not sure whether they would refer to both sets of grandparents or only to the maternal grandmother and paternal grandfather respectively.

Joy,
Lynn

Thanks for the suggestions all. Accurate and annoying is exactly what I'm going for here.

I'm a little worried about Gen-x though. I could see it just getting shortened to X-Clark and X-Lois and the whole 'X' thing might be too evocative of Lex and too, too irritating!

I think I've come up with something very irritating, annoying and hopefully clever. We'll have to see if it works in the story. It's not integral to the plot or anything but it's a fun little aside.

Irene

The German version of Grandma is Oma or Omi. Both are possible. Oma is also sometimes used in a derogorative way, particularly when talking about people who are not your grandparents. I never heard the word Omi to be used that way. In my opinion it's even more of a term of endearment than Oma. Great-Grandma would be Uroma.

The male versions are Opa and Uropa.

Perhaps you could use something along the lines of GranGranny and GranGramps, if that doesn't add up to something entirely impossible for native speaker's ears.

Hi Irene:
Glad to see you writing again. To the task at hand. My son married into a very large Italian family of a couple with 5 daughters who are now all married and have 5 to 6 children for each couple. The lowest number is 3 kids per pair. My son and his wife now have 2 kids who are the 4th generation. So what they all call each other is by their name or nickname because nobody pays attention to how they are related to each other. They are just part of the family. The direct great grandparents are nona and pop and that's it.
Don't know if this will help.
regards
Artemis

They are Kents they have the gift of languages

• English - Finnish
• Great Grandfather - isoisä
• great Grandmother - isoäidin
• Grandfather - isoisä
• Grandmother - isoäiti
• Aunt - täti
• Great Aunt - isotäti

I learned a bit Russian in college, perhaps the following terms will be helpful:

Grandmother = ба́бушка (babushka)
Grandfather = де́душка (dedushka)

Greadgrandmother = праба́бка (prababka) or праба́бушка (prababushka)
Greatgrandfather = пра́дед (praded)or праде́душка (pradedushka)

Also as far as I know the Russian like to give Nicknames to their loved ones. Usually they do this by putting a suffix to the name (there is a rule, depending on the genus of the noun there are several possibilities), sometimes they change even more. I think it is easier if I give some examples:

Jekaterina could become: Katja, Katerina, Katetschka, Katenka, Katjucha, Katjuscha, Katka

or

Pjotr could become: Petja, Petenka, Petruscha, Petjunja

Names often are changed so much it is difficult to recognize the real name behind it if you aren't a native russian. (At least I feel that way)

Even lifeless objects are getting nicknames: "dom" (house) becomes "domik" or "oblako" (cloud) becomes "oblatshko".

Wikipedia has a page about Diminutive which includes several languages, perhaps this gives you an idea for the nicknames.

We use Grandma and Grandpa before the given name, regardless of generation. Same with Aunt or Uncle. So if I were Lois's daughter, I'd say Mom and Aunt Lucy. My kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids would all say Grandma Lois and Aunt Lucy.

Love your next generation series!!!! So excited to know there is another story coming!!! Write fast!

ML

Not to pester, but how is everything going? Looking forward to your story.
(Desperately imitates someone not pestering about a story.)

I love the series and have them safely tucked into my file for stories I've re-read more than 10 times, so please forgive the pestering. Any updates?

Thanks for the interest! I am still working on the final story in the series - appropriately named Closure - but have been having some health issues recently which have slowed me down. Aging is not for the faint of heart!

Truer words were never spoken. I'm sorry to hear about your health. Best wishes. I'll be praying for you.

As my wife often tells me, "Getting old ain't for sissies."

Or do I say that to her? I can't quite remember...

I do remember that I never thought I'd be married to a woman her age.

Anyway, Irene, I sympathize. I've been dealing with some age-related health issues myself lately, and they are certainly not conducive to writing. Fortunately I've finally found some relief, although I know that nothing is permanent on Earth.

I look forward to that eternal day when I won't have any health complaints.