Submitted by space_cvnts t3_zzc724 in Showerthoughts
AnotherSteveFromNZ t1_j2bxyv2 wrote
Reply to comment by space_cvnts in There’s no word in English for a parent who has lost a child by space_cvnts
Historically infant and childbirth deaths were very common. Only recently in human history has this changed, so there were no words developed for this incidence. It’s like how there is no words for people with two hands. It’s such a regular occurrence that it’s expected so there was never a need to develop vocabulary for it. We’re talking about A few hundred years ago.
space_cvnts OP t1_j2dm3ls wrote
And isn’t it just something that’s natural. Which brings me back to losing a parent before a child is the natural way of things so there’s no word for it?
AnotherSteveFromNZ t1_j2e8sk7 wrote
It wasn’t natural a couple of hundred years ago. The reverse was the case.
space_cvnts OP t1_j2byrm3 wrote
But what about with widows and stuff? that was pretty common too.
And a person with two hands is called ambidextrous. Doesn’t it mean having two hands, having two hands that work equally well, etc
Umpteenth_zebra t1_j2d2duz wrote
They were talking about literally having two hands, not two dominant hands.
space_cvnts OP t1_j2dm19j wrote
I know what they meant. But isn’t that definition the same?
Umpteenth_zebra t1_j2dxgor wrote
Not that I'm aware of.
Naive_Pay_7066 t1_j2dh940 wrote
Widow or widower is primarily used to describe marital status - single, married, divorced, widowed
space_cvnts OP t1_j2dlxpx wrote
What? It describes a man or woman whose spouse has died and they haven’t remarried.
You are not a widow/er just because you haven’t married.
space_cvnts OP t1_j2dlyo7 wrote
That’s what bachelor and bachelorette are for.
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