Aunty

The main difference between the words Aunty and Auntie are two, the first one is that Aunty is more frequently used in British English while Auntie is more frequently used in American English. The other is that Aunty is mostly used in a more formal tone while Auntie is considered a less formal word.

The term Aunty can be defined in two different ways, the first one being that an aunty is a sister of either your father or mother, it can also be called to someone who is the wife of your uncle. The second definition will be that which is not related to anyone. In more technical terms it can be defined as a relative that has at least 25% of the genetic relationship with the person they are a relative with. It should be noted that most of the people use the same word for their grandparent which are then called grand-aunt. (Source: diffzi.com)

WORD

Today, the title “aunty” is so overused and misused that it has lost its position and meaning. Indian-American children are taught that every adult female is a potential aunty; many carry this presumption to the conclusion that any adult female older than them can be an aunty. I’m not referring to school children here, but to those I see as adults, the lipsticked and bearded variety, who ought to know better. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have a problem with terms like ammayi, or cheriamma, or edathi, all specific Malayalam words that acknowledge individuals who are close family members and deserve rightful respect in the family’s pecking order. There are equivalent terms in every Indian language: terms like maami, mausi, and didi that all validate close family connections. But amongst English-speaking Indian Americans, the frequent use of “aunty” or “uncle” is more often an example of lazy speech, or a desire to bump the individual in question into the category of dodderingolder-other, than it is a thoughtful moniker of respect. Therein lies the problem. (Source: indiacurrents.com)

Let us not diminish the value of extended family, or reduce the importance of commitment and involvement, by loose interpretations and titles drawn by vanity. It’s time to redefine words like “aunty” and “uncle” in our vocabularies and restore their use to a rightful position. It’s time to honor those friends and family who truly have a hand in shaping our lives. (Source: indiacurrents.com)