Re Lola Okolosie’s article (Is calling a woman ‘auntie’ ageist harassment – or a mark of respect? It’s a trickier question than you think, 31 March), I was interested to read uncle/auntie described as honorifics. Growing up (I’m 60-plus years old, Scottish), I think it operated as a familiar term. I was taught to call close friends of my parents Aunt Jane or Uncle John. Otherwise Mister/Miss.
Clearly, there is an honorific element – if I am (as a child) calling you Aunt, you are close to my parents, but it was not related to age – I would never have dreamed of calling anyone Aunt/Uncle on an age basis. Aunt/Uncle expired with age. Once I became a teenager, Aunt Jane just became Jane.
Douglas Leggat
Stockport
• I am an 80-year-old Englishman, now living in Bulgaria. As a frequent visitor to India, Nepal and Thailand, I recall the first time I was referred to as Uncle. This was in 2008. I was sat on a bench in the amazing Rock Garden of Chandigarh, eating a sandwich, when a small group of local young students approached me, and began the usual questioning.
Their spokesperson, an eloquent young man, about 20 years of age, called me Uncle several times during our conversation. It made me realise that he was being respectful of our age gap, and that it is the norm in this part of the world. But I’m curious as to why, in India, I’m called Uncle Richard, but in Nepal, I’m referred to as Richard Uncle. A difference in grammar, no doubt.
Richard John Merlin
Avren, Bulgaria
• In my role as a healthcare assistant, I was often referred to as Auntie. I loved it and regarded it as an acknowledgment of my skills and knowledge built up over a lifetime of experiences, education and training.
Jacquie Platt
Greatworth, Northamptonshire
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