brethren
brethren
Someone today wrote, "She was a true brethren to us all." When I objected, two people responded "Well, better than cistern." I said that was less of a problem to me than using it as a single noun. "We were among her brethren" would have been OK....
Margie Sved
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- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Re: brethren
Agreed. Never heard it used like that. I would have expected, "She was a true sister to us all." Maybe a local-ism or from a group with brother or brethren in the name?
pl
- Slava
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Re: brethren
Brethren/cistern is, of course, an oldie, though I don't think I've ever heard of it actually being used. Wouldn't it be Sistren, anyway?
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.
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- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Re: brethren
Yes Slava, it would be Sistren, and it has had wide usage in a humerous vein since I was a tad. Here is another area where sexism/antisexism is encroaching on our language.
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