Random question

[jethrien]

Brought on by a book I'm reading:

Say your mother has two children by two different fathers, you and your half-brother X. (Your father is A, your half-brother's father is B.) And your half-brother's father has two children by two different mothers, X and his half-sister Y. (You and your half-brother's mother is C, your half-brother's half-sister's father is B and mother is D.) And no one was married to anyone listed. What is Y to you? I mean, biologically, nothing, I suppose. And legally, nothing either, I think. But X is brother to both you and Y. What would you call that?

Comments

[chuckro.livejournal.com]

Your half-brother's half-brother, I suppose.

I suspect, to save time and explanation among friends (assuming you were of similar age and moved in similar circles), you'd either call him your brother or your cousin, depending on how close you were.

[edgehopper.livejournal.com]

I prefer "your quarter-brother", if only for the amusement value.

[cubby-t-bear.livejournal.com]

Your nought-sister, presumably :)

[feiran.livejournal.com]

I have two of these. They're my brother and (late) sister. If I need to get technical or clarify to someone who matters, I call them my half-brother's half-brother and half-sister, or just my brother's brother and brother's sister, assuming people will make the appropriate leap.

[wavilyem.livejournal.com]

I like the term "quasi-brother" or "quasi-sister". We have a similar naming issue in my family when I try to refer to a cousin's cousin who technically isn't blood related to me but still comes to celebrate Thanksgiving and other family holidays with me.

And as a side note for shnayder, the way I know your friend Patrick is that his fiancée is my quasi-cousin. Which I guess will make him my quasi-cousin-in-law after they get married :)

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

I'd actually thought of that one.

[dushai.livejournal.com]

The answer around here seems to be "sibling-equivalent".

Side note: My sister's husband is my brother-in-law, of course. I've met his sister (and her husband) several times, and they're common visitors to my sister's house. The husband has a sister, and I've even met that sister (and *her* husband) a few times, in spite of living 3000 miles away. So that last guy mentioned is... my brother-in-law-in-law-in-law-in-law-in-law, obviously. :)