In the local #languages of the #Philippines, we can easily express which order in the siblings we are, but it has always been a challenge to express this in English.
Examples (Filipino - English):
“Ako ay ikatlo sa mga magkakapatid.”
EN: “I am third of the siblings” vs “I am third of four siblings.”
The problem with the latter translation is “of four” was not stated in the #Filipino#language. The first option is the closest but it sounds weird.
How about this: “Ako ay pangalawa sa mga babae at pang-apat sa mga magkakapatid.”
Literal translation: “I am second of the female siblings and fourth of siblings.”
Maybe a better one is: “I am second female and fourth among us siblings.”
How is it in your local language? And how would you express it in English?
@youronlyone@languagelovers@linguistics At least in my English variety, that would be naturally expressed as “I am the third-oldest sibling” (or “I am the second-youngest” — if you’re closer to the bottom, it’s more natural to count from the bottom).
You can also say “second-oldest/second-youngest girl/boy”.
@gunchleoc Thank you very much! I wasn't aware there was a study about it. Very interesting! I've always wondered how it is in different cultures and languages. ^_^
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