"Aunt" is one of the most common words in the vocabulary of a modern Russian person. I wonder where did it come from?
How was the word "aunt" born?
If we talk about family relations, then traditionally the aunt (or aunt) is called the sister of the father or mother, as well as the wife of the uncle. Researchers of the Russian language believe that the word "aunt" was most likely invented by children. When speech was just emerging, children called adults "tata", "tyatya", "aunt". Later, fathers were called "tatami" or "aunts", and their sisters were called "aunts". Subsequently, this name was extended to some other relatives.
Aunts are both relatives and, say, cousins, second cousins (cousins or second cousins of the parents). In the old days, there was still such a degree of kinship as a great aunt or a grand-aunt (in our time, they would call her a great-aunt). Interestingly, in some regions, paternal and maternal aunts were sometimes called differently: the father's sister was called striya (striya, strynya, stryina), and the mother's sister was called vuyna.
Aunts, aunts, aunts …
Aunts (or aunts) played a significant role in the life of the Russian family. They often came or came to visit, brought gifts and toys to children. They also went to visit them. Poor aunts came to wealthy relatives to feed themselves, often asceticised in rich families as hangers-on … In the Russian family tradition, it also happened that aunts were directly involved in raising children and mentoring young people. They often became godfathers of their nephews and nieces, they patronized them in every possible way. There were even sayings in which the word "aunt" appeared: "Hunger is not an aunt," "Vodka is a blame for aunt!"
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Before the revolution, the address “aunty” was accepted in Russia, especially in the highest circles. Only relatives were usually called that: "How is your health, Aunt Sophia?" Nowadays "auntie" is an anachronism. But the appeal is "aunty". Most often it is used by children in relation to an unknown woman: "Auntie, can you tell me what time it is?"
However, from time immemorial in Russia the address "aunt" or "aunt" in relation to any older woman has taken root. Acquaintances, for example, neighbors, mother's friends, are usually called "aunt Vera", "aunt Zina" and so on. Strangers are simply called "aunt". As a rule, women are called "aunts", speaking about them in the third person: "Do you see that aunt over there?", "Aunt Daria went over there."
Is Russia a country of aunts?
In modern Russia, the word "aunt" most often bears a connotation of some disdain, which, however, is not too surprising for the post-Soviet culture, in which it is customary to address strangers impersonally: "man", "woman", "young man", "girl", "Grandpa" or "grandma" … Usually this is the name of a woman "aged" who has already been released "in circulation", or a person who is not too well-groomed in appearance. But still, it is unlikely that a woman under 30 will be called that, unless children …
It is curious that the term "aunt" is actively used not only in colloquial speech, but also in fiction and journalism, and by people of all ages and social strata of society. So we can say that this is a kind of sociocultural phenomenon that is characteristic of our Russian mentality.