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MrMojo



Joined: Apr 17, 2004
Post   Posted: Mar 17, 2006 - 14:18 Reply with quote Back to top
I came across this in Wikipedia recently and was amazed. It seems that English is entirely lacking in some grammatical constructions other languages take for granted.

Answer me this, you native English speakers.

"How would you ask a boy who has several brothers 'which' (or 'which-th'!) son of his parents he is, such that his reply would be something like: 'I am the third son'?"

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celas



Joined: Aug 02, 2003
Post   Posted: Mar 17, 2006 - 14:24 Reply with quote Back to top
How about, what order were you born in? Or perhaps, what was the order in which you and your brothers came in to the family?

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Last edited by celas on %b %17, %2006 - %14:%Mar; edited 1 time in total
pizzamogul



Joined: Jun 13, 2005
Post   Posted: Mar 17, 2006 - 14:24 Reply with quote Back to top
"How many older brothers do you have?"

Then we do some math. Smile

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pac



Joined: Oct 03, 2005
Post   Posted: Mar 17, 2006 - 14:26 Reply with quote Back to top
MrMojo wrote:
"How would you ask a boy who has several brothers 'which' (or 'which-th'!) son of his parents he is, such that his reply would be something like: 'I am the third son'?"

We don't have large enough families that this would be a very useful question very often. Two hundred years ago or more, I'm sure there would have been a common colloquial way of expressing this, but now?

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DukeTyrion



Joined: Feb 18, 2004
Post   Posted: Mar 17, 2006 - 14:29 Reply with quote Back to top
So, where do you come in the line up then?
MrMojo



Joined: Apr 17, 2004
Post   Posted: Mar 17, 2006 - 14:31 Reply with quote Back to top
celas wrote:
How about, what order were you born in? Or perhaps, what was the order in which you and your brothers came in to the family?


Those questions aren't very practical, are they?

There are languages which have an exact word for "which-th", such as Finnish mones and Latin quotus, or the German wievielte.

EDIT: Duketyrion's is a great colloquial expression.

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celas



Joined: Aug 02, 2003
Post   Posted: Mar 17, 2006 - 14:33 Reply with quote Back to top
Wow that's fascinating! Have you ever considered sticking to topics about pie? ;P

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MrMojo



Joined: Apr 17, 2004
Post   Posted: Mar 17, 2006 - 14:35 Reply with quote Back to top
There's no need to be sarcastic, just asking while making mental notes for possible future translations.

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SideshowBob



Joined: Aug 02, 2003
Post   Posted: Mar 17, 2006 - 14:39 Reply with quote Back to top
This was interesting. I don't think we have a word for "which-th" in Swedish either. Maybe I can invent one and become rich this way?
MrMojo



Joined: Apr 17, 2004
Post   Posted: Mar 17, 2006 - 14:42 Reply with quote Back to top
mångte?

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SideshowBob



Joined: Aug 02, 2003
Post   Posted: Mar 17, 2006 - 15:27 Reply with quote Back to top
MrMojo wrote:
mångte?


"vilkende" sounds better.
Macavity



Joined: Nov 23, 2004
Post   Posted: Mar 17, 2006 - 15:32 Reply with quote Back to top
English is largely acknowledged as the most poorly constructed language around. Anyone who says differently problably cannot speak even IT correctly....

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EvolveToAnarchism



Joined: Aug 02, 2003
Post   Posted: Mar 17, 2006 - 15:58 Reply with quote Back to top
"Are you the eldest?" or "Are you the youngest?" with the assumption that they'd elaborate on the answer is a common way of doing it.

Evo

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xcver



Joined: Mar 10, 2005
Post   Posted: Mar 17, 2006 - 16:02 Reply with quote Back to top
THrow in a couple of sisters and it get's even more funny Wink

"Which is your sibling birth order number in reference to your parents?"

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Arktoris



Joined: Feb 16, 2004
Post   Posted: Mar 17, 2006 - 16:05 Reply with quote Back to top
"which number are you?" Is what most say to me Smile

"I'm the second son."

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