Co-brother ? Is there a word like co-brother?
X : Is there a word like co-brother?
- SVK : I have come across many people , mainly from south India, using the word ‘Co-brother’ to mean ‘ the husband of one’s wife’s sister. If there were a word like co-brother, there should be a word like ‘Co-sister’ to mean the feminine gender. I haven’t come across people using the word ‘co-sister’. The following dictionaries will enlighten you on the matter with more details.
- 1. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English.
- 2. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.
- 3. Cambridge International Dictionary of English.
- 4. Collins Cobuild English Language Dictionary.
I would recommend the above Dictionaries because they are my favourite ones and I have been using them for decades. I was not able to find the word ‘Co-brother’ in any of the above language dictionaries. I don’t depend on online interpretations beyond a limit because of lack of authentication from accredited language scholars. I am afraid that the English people do not use the word ‘co-brother’. As far as I know there is no lexical, academic or University accreditation for the word ‘ co-brother’. The Dictionaries herein mentioned use ‘ brother-in-law’, ‘sister-in-law’ etc as the case may be to refer to the word at question.
When we consider the usage in vogue at least in some parts of India, I suppose that the word ‘co-brother’ may be accepted by language authorities in future. If it has not been accepted by now, such a word will have to be considered as non-existent.
A : How do you suggest a way to consider the so-called word ‘co-brother’?
- SVK : The various languages across the globe are undergoing tremendous changes and additions owing to the growth and influence of various branches of knowledge. In this course, some words become obsolete and some other words crop up. And these changes are accredited by appropriate language authorities in consultation with the subject experts in due course. And it is the natural sequence of growth. But overnight changes cannot be expected to take place in the case of language development. Evolutionary changes preponderate over revolutionary changes in the path of language history.
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- To sum up , I think you can selectively use this particular word in such circles where it has a common acceptance for communicative or spoken purposes. However while writing , an errorless and authoritatively acceptable style may be more appropriate.
Affection vs. Affectation
Affection = gentle lasting love like that of a parent for child.
- He has a deep affection for his old friends.
- She doesn’t show any affection for him.
- They showed a great amount of affection and gratitude for a small favour done by us.
- An affectionate hug/child.
Affectation = behaviour which is not one’s natural manner.
- She is sincere and quite without affectation.
- I wore sunglasses and people thought it was an affectation.
- The way she speaks reeks of affectation.
Affected = (adjective) pretended, not real, insincere.
- He spoke with an affected English accent.
- She had an affected smile on her face.
- He spoke in an affected manner.
Affect =(verb) influence, to cause some result or change in.
- Smoking affects health.
- The strike of mine-workers affected the price of coal.
- The government policy of the new taxation will affect the business community.
Housewife, househusband, homemaker.
Housewife =(female) a married woman who doesn’t have a full-time job outside the house.
- She doesn’t want to give up her job and become a housewife.
- Most women in Kerala don’t necessarily give up their jobs and become housewives when they get married.
Househusband =(male) a husband who stays at home and cleans the house, cooks meals etc while his wife goes out to work.
- He married a well-qualified nurse working abroad with good salary and perquisites (perks) and now he is a happy househusband.
- Now-a-days the number of househusbands is increasing day-by-day and the employed wives happily welcome the trend.
Homemaker =(male or female) a person who manages a home and often raises children instead of earning money from job.
- Moly was earning more as teacher than Sunny as a banker, so they agreed that Sunny would be the homemaker when their second child Jithu was born.
- In the olden times when I was a child , menfolk thought that it was shameful to be a homemaker.
- His wife is a good homemaker.
Grocery vs.Provisions
Grocery/groceries = items of food sold in a grocer’s shop such as flour ,sugar, tinned food etc.
Green grocer = shopkeeper selling vegetables and fruit.
Related usages : to the grocer/to the grocer’s = to the grocer’s shop.
- He has gone to the grocer’s.
- Similar usages : to the baker/ to the baker’s
- Are you going to the baker/to the baker’s?
- to the butcher/to the butcher’s
- to the doctor/to the doctor’s.
Provisions = (plural) supplies of food and other necessary things such buckets, cups and detergents etc
- Provisions for journey.( Not provision)
- But , a provision merchant/shop. ( Not provisions)
- Note:- All groceries can be provisions, but all provisions are not groceries.
Useful Idioms – part 5
(1) Loom large = If something looms large it becomes very important and often causes worry.
- The thought of a third world war looms large in the minds of the humanity.
- Fear of failure loomed large in his mind.
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(2) won’t budge an inch = will not move, change or shift in any way at all.
- Once my brother gets his mind made up, he won’t budge an inch. So don’t bother trying to reason with him.
- I can’t believe how tight this bolt is on here, it won’t budge an inch.
. (3) An unknown quantity = A person or a thing whose abilities, powers or effects are not yet known.
- We are still revising our new product, so its potential success is an unknown quantity.
- He is an unknown quantity for his rivals.
Personal vs. personnel
Personal = (adjective) belonging to or affecting a particular person.
- I don’t want to interfere in her personal matters.
- He takes personal interest in her progress.
- Pilgrims are warned to keep their personal belongings with them.
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Personnel = (noun , ( sing or plural verb) staff, persons employed in any work, especially public undertakings and Armed Forces.
- There were 10 airline personnel on the plane when it crashed down.
- Personnel Manager is one who is in charge of relationship between individual employees, their problems, grievances etc.
- Please contact the personnel manager for more information.
- This area is earmarked for military personnel.
Judicial vs. Judicious
Judicial = relating to the legal system and to judgement made in a court of law.
- When a lawyer argues in a court of law, it should be within the parameters of judicial system.
- The protesters demanded a judicial inquiry into the allegations.
- A decision can be taken only after the judicial proceedings are over.
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Judicious = wise, sensible, prudent, logical etc.
- She was mature enough to make judicious use of the scarce resources.
- A responsible minister should use public funds judiciously.
- He made a judicious decision about the investment in landed property during the period of recession.
Reminder vs. Remainder
Reminder = something( eg . a letter) that helps someone to remember something; prompting.
- She hasn’t paid me that money yet – I must send her a reminder.
- Granny sometimes needed the old reminder.
- He’ll forget to call the doctor, if I don’t remind him.
- His stomach growled a reminder that he hadn’t eaten breakfast.
- His reminder of her failure left a bitter taste to her mouth.
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Remainder = (1) the rest ,balance, what is left when a part is taken away.
- Fifty members are elected directly and the remainder by proportional representation.
- The remainder of the population is chiefly made up of the Bangla speaking people from west Bengal.
(2) ,(math) what is left when a smaller number is subtracted from a larger one.
- An example of a remainder is the number 5 in the equation , twelve minus seven. 12-7 =5.
Obsolete vs. Obsolescent
Obsolete = no longer used ; completely out of date.
- If a company wants to remain competitive , it should replace all its old and obsolete equipment.
- Old technology is becoming obsolete because of the dramatic pace of development in the field.
- Technological advancements can render some jobs and even the whole industry obsolete.
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Obsolescent = becoming obsolete; going out of use/fashion.
- The planned obsolescence or built-in obsolescence ( a management terminology used for making a preplanning in such a way that the existing product becomes less attractive with entry of the new product) makes the existing product less attractive by the introduction of the new product with additional functionalities.
- Electronic equipment and gadgets are subject to fast obsolescence.
- Any technology is obsolescent and it is bound to become obsolete one day.
Ventilation vs. Aeration
Ventilation = the movement of fresh air around a closed space or the system that does this.
- Our kitchen has poor ventilation and in summer it becomes unbearably stuffy.
- Use car ventilation system for fresh air circulation.
- Good ventilation helps to reduce indoor pollution but this is not always possible.
Aeration = the process by which air is circulated through , mixed with or dissolved in a liquid or substance.
- Aerate the soil by digging.
- Blood is aerated in the lungs.
- Aerated water.
- Earthworms help to aerate the soil.
- Aeration is used to maintain the health and vitality of the fishes.
- Aerated drinks.
- Pond owners provide artificial aeration in their ponds.