What is my nephew's daughter to me ?

Question

Can anyone please give me a quick answer to this (English is not my first language) ? How should I refer to my sister's son's daughter in relation to me ?
(This child was crushed against a concrete wall by a light truck and suffered internal injuries that are way beyond the capabilities of local hospitals. I'm taking her to an institution 2000+ km away in a place where the only common language I'll have with the locals is English).

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Can anyone please give me a quick answer to this (English is not my first language) ? How should I refer to my sister's son's daughter in relation to me ?[/nq]
~~snip situation~~
She's your "grand-niece".

Cheers, Harvey
CanEng and BrEng, indiscriminately mixed

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Can anyone please give me a quick answer to this (English is not my first language) ? How should I ... an institution 2000+ km away in a place where the only common language I'll have with the locals is English).[/nq]
Your sister's son's daughter is technically your "great-niece" (since you're her grandmother's sib,) but "niece" would probably be understood. Or you could use "My sister's granddaughter."

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Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]On 02 Jul 2007, wrote[/nq]
[nq:2]Can anyone please give me a quick answer to this ... to my sister's son's daughter in relation to me ?[/nq]
[nq:1]~~snip situation~~ She's your "grand-niece".[/nq]
I thought so, but it's nice to have it confirmed by a native user. Thanks. Does it sound natural, or is it one of those grammatically correct, but awkward-sounding terms, like "It is I" ?

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]On 02 Jul 2007, wrote ~~snip situation~~ She's your "grand-niece".[/nq]
[nq:1]I thought so, but it's nice to have it confirmed by a native user. Thanks. Does it sound natural, or is it one of those grammatically correct, but awkward-sounding terms, like "It is I" ?[/nq]
It's not entirely natural it's accurate, but it's probably not widely used. (And either "grand-niece" or "great-niece" are equally correct.)
The most common way of saying it, I think, would be "she's my sister's grand-daughter".

Cheers, Harvey
CanEng and BrEng, indiscriminately mixed

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]On 02 Jul 2007, wrote[/nq]
[nq:2]I thought so, but it's nice to have it confirmed ... grammatically correct, but awkward-sounding terms, like "It is I" ?[/nq]
[nq:1]It's not entirely natural it's accurate, but it's probably not widely used. (And either "grand-niece" or "great-niece" are equally correct.) The most common way of saying it, I think, would be "she's my sister's grand-daughter".[/nq]
And please give the girl our good wishes for a full recovery.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Can anyone please give me a quick answer to this (English is not my first language) ? How should I ... an institution 2000+ km away in a place where the only common language I'll have with the locals is English).[/nq]
You are her great-uncle, she is your great-niece, at least in the UK. Grandniece is given as an alternative eg in this definition at

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/great-niece
I think it might be more widely used in North American English.

Noun
1. great-niece - a daughter of your niece or nephew

grandniece

Usenet · Answer

Thank you. I've conveyed your message to her and she's old enough to appreciate it.
This 7-year-old girl amazed everyone including her doctors and nurses. She not only remained concious, but was also composed enough to give her name, parents' names and phone number to adults at the scene of the accident. She never cried before or after the emergency operation that just managed to stop her bleeding to death. She never once mentioned pain except when asked.
The surgeons thought they were going to lose her and called me into the operation theater. Except for some bruises, practically no injury was evident from the outside. Inside, it was something else. Bones were broken, the urethra was severed and her ****** looked as if it had gone through a paper shredder. Internal muscles were squashed to pulp. The anesthesiologist cried.

She was discharged from the hospital last Friday. She's alert and cheerful, and she can turn sideways in bed by herself. The surgical wound healed nicely and there's no more blood coming out through the catheter. But she still has a long way to go before she can resume any semblance of normal life.
The accident came at a time when the family was already going through a rough time. I'm not fishing for sympathy, but if you'll forgive my off-topic ramblings, I'd like to take this opportunity to vent some of my frustrations.
This girl's father, my nephew, is jobless and has severe depression with neurotic psychosis, made worse by the trauma of the accident. His father died 12 years ago. The child's mother is in her seventh month of pregnancy. She had a temporary job but had to give it up.
They're living with my sister who's a teacher in a government-run high school. Normally, she should be able to make a withdrawal from a compulsory pension fund that the government deducts from her salary. But she's one of the victims of a fraud perpetrated by a government employee last year, and most of her savings are gone. She's a diabetic with chronic urinary tract infection.

I'm not poor by local standards, but this just happens to be a time when I'm quite short of funds. The situation is almost comical and sometimes we do manage to laugh about it. If you believe in ***, please pray for my little grand-niece and her family.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Thank you. I've conveyed your message to her and she's old enough to appreciate it. This 7-year-old girl amazed everyone ... do manage to laugh about it. If you believe in ***, please pray for my little grand-niece and her family.[/nq]
This is indeed a very sad story. I don't know what to suggest to boost your spirits.
No, I don't believe in *** but I understand that, for people who do, praying in times like this can be a useful support mechanism and I'm glad it's there for you.
Is it permitted to ask what country you're in? I am very disappointed to learn that the government would not take responsibility for the fraudulent actions of one of its employees. A government's first duty is to protect its citizems and provide proper health care, both physical and mental.
Perhaps keep us informed of developments? I know it's off-topic but we're all friends in here I hope and talking about it can help. If anyone objects, I'm sure they'll speak up.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]The most common way of saying it, I think, would be "she's my sister's grand-daughter".[/nq]
That's very interesting: if the relative is not that close, you start with the closest relation (sister) then go to the next of kin; you didn't say "the granddaughter of my sister".
Same with a brother-in-law, which is also a more generic term, like the great niece, who can come from many relatives: you call him "my sister's husband", not the husband of my sister, right?

BTW, I hope that little girl is already out of danger. It really broke my heart the way she never complained about pain... What a sweet doll.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]The most common way of saying it, I think, would be "she's my sister's grand-daughter".[/nq]
[nq:1]That's very interesting: if the relative is not that close, you start with the closest relation (sister) then go to ... already out of danger. It really broke my heart the way she never complained about pain... What a sweet doll.[/nq]
"Grandniece" ???

What is my nephew's daughter to me ?

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