Correct spelling for the English word "great niece" is [ɡɹˈe͡ɪt nˈiːs], [ɡɹˈeɪt nˈiːs], [ɡ_ɹ_ˈeɪ_t n_ˈiː_s] (IPA phonetic alphabet).
A great niece is a female descendant of a person's sibling or sibling-in-law. More specifically, a great niece is the daughter of a person's niece or nephew. The term "great" is used to indicate that the niece is one generation removed from the individual in question.
To understand the concept more clearly, it can be helpful to explore the family tree. The great niece is located in the generation below the person, with the niece or nephew being in the same generation as the individual. This means that the great niece is the grandchild of the person's sibling.
For example, if Mary has a sister named Susan, and Susan has a daughter named Sarah, then Sarah would be Mary's niece. Sarah's daughter, in turn, would be Mary's great niece. This relationship extends the familial bond beyond the immediate family, allowing for kinship ties to be maintained and celebrated.
The distinction between niece and great niece is important, as it helps to specify the exact lineage and connection within a family. Being a great niece implies a certain level of separation and indicates a different kind of relationship compared to that of a niece or a grandchild.
The word "great niece" is formed by combining the words "great" and "niece".
The term "great" in this context is used to indicate an additional generation. It derives from the Old English word "grēat", meaning "big" or "large", which in turn is from the Proto-Germanic word "grōtaz". This word has cognates in various Germanic languages, such as the Old Norse "grótr" and the Old High German "grōz".
The word "niece" comes from the Old French term "niece", which originally referred to a granddaughter or any female descendant. It entered the English language around the 14th century, borrowed from the Old French word. The Old French term, in turn, came from the Latin word "neptia", meaning "niece" or "granddaughter".