13 Comments
1136
does nepoata really mean both granddaughter and niece? arent they two separate ideas?
- 989
I suppose all languages have words that can mean more than one thing. Japanese or Turkish people might say “does brother really mean older and younger brother? Aren't they two separate ideas?”
- 54
It is the same than in Italian: nipote means both "granddaughter"/"grandson" and "niece"/"nephew".
Many cultures merge lineal relatives (e.g., granddaughter) with collaterals (niece) and note that there is in each case here one linking relative between "EGO", i.e. the point of reference, "me" and the kinsman referenced.
Not really in a place where spying on family and neighbors is still probably done (for the sake of old days Romania with secu and Germany with Stasi and Rusia with .....
- 779
I thought so too. Couldn't understand the fascination with using such an uncommon word but ElRixIV's explanation makes a lot of sense.
OK, on the 10th iteration over this sentence, I must point out that when confronted with a sentence like "I spy on my niece/granddaughter" in English, the only thing that comes to mind is sexual perversion, incestuous voyeurism. "Spying" often means peeping. And there are lost of sentences with a spiona in this Romanian course, boys spying on girls, girls spying on boys, etc. Does it mean something else -- something socially acceptable -- in Romanian?
I already said this sentence is inappropriate. It sounds incestuous and paedophilia
I have been in Romania. This sound you also hear. It depends on where you are. In Covasna they speak like the other woman
