...and raise you a marital status...

https://www.languagesoftheworl...ir-mademoiselle.html

Great article, thanks!

Funny, I mentioned ‘Ms’ in the other thread before seeing this one.

This is actually a problem Spanish still has. There’s Señora and Señorita just like 50 years ago in English.

Fascinating article.

The people of my mom and dad's generation who came here post-WWII dropped the whole marital status thing from surnames when dealing with English speaking people (including legal documents). So my dad, my mom, and I all had the same last name.

Among our Lithuanian friends, though, the surname endings reflecting marital status were retained.

On the other hand, the Lithuanians who are coming to the US now are keeping the Lithuanian convention for everything (legal docs and personal interactions), so a father, mother, and daughter have three different last names.

I've often wondered why the two different generations chose different conventions.

It never ends.

quote:

I've often wondered why the two different generations chose different conventions.

This is a super interesting question. I wonder if it has to do with a desire to maintain one's identity and cultural heritage?

I'm not sure. Both groups have maintained strong cultural ties to their native country.

My parents' generation, the DPs (displaced persons who came post WWII) maintained their language and culture in the camps in Germany. There were books printed in Lithuanian, there were Lithuanian scout groups, and Lithuanian folk dancing groups. All of these continued in the US, and in other countries to which they emigrated like Australia.

I went to Lithuanian school for a few hours on Saturday mornings. There are several Lithuanian newspapers published in the US, one of the major ones is in Chicago. There are two churches in the area that hold their services in Lithuanian. Lots of others in cities around the country

The "third wave" Lithuanians (the ones who have come since the early 90s when Lithuania got its independence) have their newspapers, restaurants, and schools. They were viewed as interlopers by the DPs.

I'll have to think about it some more....