Alternative term for "godson"?

sunandshadow · Aug 30, 2012

I've got a character who is trying to sort out a problem involving what is technically his blood brother's son/milk brother's son/shield brother's son. The base concept is the same as a godchild - that the character would be the designated adopted parent if the child were to be orphaned, and has an "honorary familial duty" to help teach and protect the child as if the child were his nephew. Since I might end up using this term a dozen times in the story, I was trying to find a compact way of saying it.

RichardGarfinkle · Aug 30, 2012

Fosterling or fosterson might work depending on the culture.

Nephew could also work if the culture sees blood-brothers as equal to brothers.

Roxxsmom · Aug 30, 2012

Oath son? Heart son? Spirit son (okay that's a bit religious sounding, though more nebulously so than godson)?

Just tossing some ideas out there that might show the nature of the bond and obligation to someone who isn't necessarily a blood relative and without an overtly religious component.

frimble3 · Aug 30, 2012

FWIW, I like Roxxsmom's 'oathson', it's short, which suggests that it's a common term in your society.
The 'oath' indicates that there are societal expectations, that this isn't just some kid that the MC has a passing interest in, this is a relationship that people recognise and understand. Less nebulous that 'spirit son', and 'heart son'.
'Heart son' sounds like a term for something different, either 'I love you as though you were a son of my body', or 'You're my birth son, but I can never publicly acknowledge you'.

Alternative term for "godson"?

sunandshadow

Impractical Fantasy Animal

RichardGarfinkle

Nurture Phoenixes

Roxxsmom

Beastly Fido

frimble3

Heckuva good sport