Relatives and relations

[Jens]

Is this a dialect difference? I've heard some people use "my relations" to refer to what I use "my relatives" for. I think maybe "relations" is usually used in Southern American English, but I'm not sure. Maybe it's Midwest?

[Kaptain K]

Mostly interchangeable as far as I can tell. Most people I know would be more likely to use "my relatives", but none would misunderstand "my relations". If there is a regional difference, it would seem to be subtle.

[farmerjumperdon]

I say relatives to refer to the people, and relations to refer to my interaction with them and all other people (with whom I have relations). May not be typical of Upper Midwest.

[Gillianren]

I think "relations" is Southern English. Everyone I know says "relatives," but as has been said, no one I know would misunderstand what someone meant if they said the other.

[Noclevername]

I've never heard anyone use "relations" except on television imitating a southern accent (usually exaggerated to the point of parody).

[Gillianren]

Didn't Rabbit have "friends and relations"? (I don't like those books, so I can't just go check my bookcase.)

[mugaliens]

I've only heard "my relatives" or questions like, "are they of any relation to you?" I've never heard anyone call their relatives their "relations" and it wouldn't be proper english if they did (in my opinion). Still, Merriam-Webster does list the two as synonyms.

[Jens]

I'd be interested in comments from members who are from non-American speaking countries, because I'm wondering if this could be something that comes from some British dialect. I'm not absolutely sure of this, but I think that the southern American accent is influenced by some UK accident. It may be Scottish. If so, I wonder what Scots tend to say.

[grant hutchison]

I'm a lowland Scot. It was "relations" in our family when I was a kid, and I still hear it from time to time. "Is he any relation to you?" is a common enough way of asking "Is he a relative of yours?" in Scotland.
"Relatives" seems to be taking over, though: our local hospital once had several rooms set aside near the intensive care unit and paediatric wards, labelled "Relative's Room". They've now moved the apostrophe to a more sensible place.

Grant Hutchison

[suntrack2]

Jens, Namaste.
I like relatives, in my childhood I always be happy to enjoy the summer vacations at my relatives, and we had a season at that time of mango juice and a hot chapati along with a milk creme. we also use to take bath in the village river and later we use the utensils by filling in the water of the river into it just to use for the rest day, because in my village (at that time, no water taps were present).

Relatives are much embrassing, they forced me in such a way, "sunil don't go return to your home, just stay here for again 2 days, we will show you a nice movie and we will enjoy a "farm house party in the green agriculture field". It was interesting for me. Now post globalisation the relations and relationship both are tremandaously changing very fastly. Please give your remarks.
sunil

[grant hutchison]

Reunited with my Oxford English Dictionary, I see that it describes this usage of the word "relation", but classifies it as Obs[olete] rare. I've seen this description before, applied to words that are still in dialectical usage in Scotland or elsewhere.

Edit: Oops. Reviewing the illustrative quotations, I see that the "obsolete rare" usage is in the plural: "a numerous relation" meaning "a lot of relatives", for instance. I've certainly never seen or heard that before.

Grant Hutchison

[mugaliens]

I'd be interested in comments from members who are from non-American speaking countries, because I'm wondering if this could be something that comes from some British dialect. I'm not absolutely sure of this, but I think that the southern American accent is influenced by some UK accident. It may be Scottish. If so, I wonder what Scots tend to say.

But as an American, of Scottish descendant, of English/Irish origen, living in Europe, I think your comments hit very much close to home. So, perhaps, I might have an answer. Do you mind?

By the way, I've been all over the world (more than three dozen countries), speak seven langauges two WAY much better than the rest).

By the way, my first language wasn't English, either.

No offense - just please understand who you're talking to before you blast them.

Don't know how this thread will develop.

I suppose we'll wait and see!

See you soon.

[Gillianren]

I've only heard "my relatives" or questions like, "are they of any relation to you?" I've never heard anyone call their relatives their "relations" and it wouldn't be proper english if they did (in my opinion). Still, Merriam-Webster does list the two as synonyms.

To be blunt, your opinion is wrong. It's perfectly valid English. It doesn't get used much, but it's still correct. There's a reason essentially every dictionary you look at will call the two synonyms; it's because they are. (And for the record, it is possible for an opinion to be wrong if it's built on incorrect information. We deal with wrong opinions all the time around here.) 100 years ago, it's possible (I'd have to check my older books) that "relations" was the one everyone used and "relatives" wasn't proper English in someone's opinion. (Did Emma refer to "relatives" or "relations"? I think the latter. Likewise Jane Eyre.) As I said earlier, I'm pretty sure A. A. Milne used it, and while he played with English to a certain extent, it was only in making it more childlike.

Further, I don't think Jens was slamming anyone. Just attempting to gather more detailed, varied information. If you don't put your location, how can anyone be expected to remember where it is in a place with literally dozens of regulars?

[The Supreme Canuck]

Just adding another data point: "Relations" is never used here.

[toejam]

To be blunt, your opinion is wrong. It's perfectly valid English. It doesn't get used much, but it's still correct. There's a reason essentially every dictionary you look at will call the two synonyms; it's because they are. (And for the record, it is possible for an opinion to be wrong if it's built on incorrect information. We deal with wrong opinions all the time around here.) 100 years ago, it's possible (I'd have to check my older books) that "relations" was the one everyone used and "relatives" wasn't proper English in someone's opinion. (Did Emma refer to "relatives" or "relations"? I think the latter. Likewise Jane Eyre.) As I said earlier, I'm pretty sure A. A. Milne used it, and while he played with English to a certain extent, it was only in making it more childlike.

Further, I don't think Jens was slamming anyone. Just attempting to gather more detailed, varied information. If you don't put your location, how can anyone be expected to remember where it is in a place with literally dozens of regulars?

According to the OED relation, in the sense of kinship, was first recorded in writing in a letter of King Henry VII in 1502, and relative, in the same sense, in a legal document of 1657.

They seem to have been used indiscriminately since then to the present day, at least in England.

[Fadingstar]

In England we tend to use the word relatives to mean people part of the family group but generally not immediate family, as in mother/father/wife/husband/son/daughter, while relations tends to be more personal.
I think the word has become blurred with relationship, or as in having relations with a specific person.

[Jens]

But as an American, of Scottish descendant, of English/Irish origen, living in Europe, I think your comments hit very much close to home. So, perhaps, I might have an answer. Do you mind?

By the way, I've been all over the world (more than three dozen countries), speak seven langauges two WAY much better than the rest).

By the way, my first language wasn't English, either.

No offense - just please understand who you're talking to before you blast them.

As Gillianren wrote, I'm just interested in the usage. Not interested in blasting anybody! I don't even know what I'd blast somebody for...

If you do have an answer, I'd be interested. Although I'm not quite sure what you mean by an "answer". I'm really interested in usage.

[mugaliens]

To be blunt, your opinion is wrong.

LOL, Gillianren - how could an "opinion" be "wrong?" It's my opinion for crying out loud.

I don't know why you and I keep butting our heads together.

I do love you're input on this board, though.

I hope you know that.

I find you to be very sweet. Take care

[Torsten]

My sense of the usage here is that "relatives" refers to the people, and "relations" to the interactions between them, although, as already stated in this thread, just about anyone would understand if you referred to your relatives as your relations.

[Gillianren]

LOL, Gillianren - how could an "opinion" be "wrong?" It's my opinion for crying out loud.

As I said quite plainly in my post, it's because you're basing it on incorrect information. Further, there are some places where what your opinion is simply doesn't matter. Were my opinion that 2+2=5, would the fact that it's my opinion make it not-wrong?

[The Supreme Canuck]

LOL, Gillianren - how could an "opinion" be "wrong?" It's my opinion for crying out loud.

I've heard this view expressed before. It is unmitigated humbug, pure and simple. When your opinion is an incorrect fact, your opinion can be, and is, wrong.

[AndreH]

My sense of the usage here is that "relatives" refers to the people, and "relations" to the interactions between them, although, as already stated in this thread, just about anyone would understand if you referred to your relatives as your relations.

The above quote describes as how I learned it in school. Until reading this thread I never heard of the other ussage and would for sure have misunderstood it. Obviously there are some things even teachers do not know about.

As Metallica said it: 2Everyday for a something new". (This is hopefully NOT a mondegreen)

[Spacewriter]

We always referred to those folks as "relatives" unless they were distantly removed cousins or some such, and then they became "distant relations." We grew up in the Western U.S., no southerners or Scots in the family...

[Tinaa]

We say kinfolk down here.