5 ms·
There are a few more nuances to this, probably depending on place and circumstance. 1. It's not necessary, for instance, that the person being referred to by t
by msravi 6y ago
There are a few more nuances to this, probably depending on place and circumstance.
1. It's not necessary, for instance, that the person being referred to by the kid is "known". It's quite common, for example, for kids to address an unknown stranger on the street using "uncle" or "aunty" - it's merely a respectful way of addressing an older person.
2. When used by an adult, it can take on one of two tones:
a) The genuinely respectful tone, similar to (1)
b) A derogatory way to taunt a slightly older person on account of their age, using outdated practices, etc.
The way it's used in THIS article, borders on 2(b) - taunting an older generation for sending good morning messages, etc.
- kannanvijayan 6y agoIt's interesting. I read the title as an endearing and respectful way to reference the elderly in India. I hadn't personally encountered the 2(b) form you reference. When I was a kid, even an implied taunting of the older generation was forbidden, treated as stepping out of the bounds of social protocol, and would get you punished by your own parents or family if observed. Even now, as an adult, I would feel strongly compelled to stop myself from using the 2(b) variant you just referenced. It feels taboo. Maybe things have evolved a bit since I left India, which I admit was quite a while back. I wonder if my grandmother might lament this change as a deterioration of values in the younger generations :) "The kids have no respect these days".
- zem 6y agoI'm in my 40s, and my generation definitely has a derogatory sense of the term "uncles and aunties" - specifically an older generation of Indians who think it their right to be nosy and judgemental (and oftentimes even interfering) when it comes to the next generation's affairs. (in addition to the other usages msravi noted)
- valarauko 6y agoI'm in my 30s, and have been called that term online (in a sense akin to "OK Boomer")
- spacemansam 6y agoSame here, though in my case i assume it's mock (hopefully?) insult in a few Indian Telegram groups where I'm the oldest member by about 2 decades. "Unkill" is the phrasing and "boomer" is most assuredly the implication.
- valarauko 6y ago"Unkill" was largely a Reddit India creation, where it runs rampant. Sounds like it has escaped the confines of Reddit and run amok.
- valarauko 6y agoThe derogatory sense of the term is widespread among the youth, who deploy it akin to "Boomer" in the US
- signal11 6y agoI suspect it depends upon context. Uncle and Aunty are an inherently respectful term, it’s just that kids do also use it ironically, reversing the meaning. There are other words used like that, eg “mate”, which can be used in a friendly/neutral or menacing way. (As a side note - I notice that Kamala Harris’s Twitter Bio currently includes “Auntie”.)