"dead brother's grandson" VS "passed-away brother's grandson"

Question

One is

dead brother's grandson (and) dead sister's grandson.

The other is

passed-away brother's grandson (and) passed-away sister's grandson.

They come from part of a novel which I'm translating for study.
Which one is better? I've heard that pass away is more indirect and dead sounds a bit harsh. I don't know which one sounds better or more suitable.

We can't tell you which is "better or more suitable" without knowing the context. If you're talking to somebody about a recently deceased relative, "passed away" is probably better. If you're talking to a scientist about a corpse, then "dead" is probably better. It all depends on the context. — Kevin Workman, Mar 17 '15 at 14:43
Another option might be late, which means the same, as in my late grandfather. — oerkelens, Mar 17 '15 at 14:45
related: 'Expired' or 'Passed away'? and Which is better: “was dead” ;“died”;“has passed away” in my case? — Mari-Lou A, Mar 17 '15 at 15:09
This needs more context. When did the deceased person die? Whose relatives are we talking about? For example I might say "my grandson's father has recently passed away/died" OR "his dead daughter's son" i.e. if the person is speaking about a grandfather's grandson whose daughter (the child's mother) is dead. — Mari-Lou A, Mar 17 '15 at 15:51

score 11 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 17 '15 at 15:04

The expression to pass away is rarely, if ever, used as a compound adjective as you have done, i.e. passed-away. The current construction with dead sounds awkward because it is missing pronouns, e.g. my, his, etc. A more idiomatic alternative for your example is late, and I quote from the 3rd [adjective] definition in Oxford Dictionaries:

(the/one's late) (Of a specified person) no longer alive:
the late William Jennings Bryan
her late husband’s grave

So, assuming the first personal pronoun (my) is appropriate, two possible translations for your passage might be:

One is my dead brother's grandson and the other is my dead sister's grandson.
One is my late brother's grandson and the other is my late sister's grandson.

score 1 · Answer 2 · 2015-03-17T16:02:16.103

It would be ungrammatical and very awkward-sounding to say, "One is passed-away brother's grandson and the other is passed-away sister's grandson."

That said, I cannot opine as to which term is "better" sounding. The dictionary definitions of both terms reach the same conclusion---cessation of existence---though each term also carries different connotations and “emotional overtones": "dead" is, for some people, perhaps, more clinical, emphatic, final, and ... blunt; while, "passed away" is euphemistic, less direct and final, and perhaps provides some emotional “cushion” to what can be a traumatic event for those who are still “living,” and “left behind.”

Dead adjective:

1. no longer alive.

• "a dead body"

synonyms: passed on/away, expired, departed, gone, no more; late, lost, lamented;

Merriam-Webster dead

Pass away intransitive verb

1: to go out of existence

2: die

Merriam-Webster pass away

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Mar 18 '15 at 06:44

1

Passed-away, as other people have pointed out, is not a phrase in common use.

Dead suggests someone who is either dead in front of you or dead for centuries.

I would say

"the grandson of one's late brother"
"the grandson of one's deceased brother"

I would recommend against "one's deceased brother's grandson", because it leaves it faintly unclear exactly who is dead: the brother or his grandson.

answered Mar 18 '15 at 06:44

Michael Lorton

28,092

+1: Good point regarding possible ambiguity here. Although, it seemed fairly clear to me that it was the subject's sister and brother that were deceased. I'd sooner use brother's late grandson/sister's late grandson if this wasn't the case! – Jimi Oke Mar 18 '15 at 11:06
1

@JimiOke, I don't think it is actually ambiguous, it just isn't 100% clear, so there is that momentarily delay while the reader thinks about it. – Michael Lorton Mar 18 '15 at 15:07

score -1 · Answer 4 · answered Mar 17 '15 at 14:35

-1

Both mean the exact same thing, only the latter is a euphemism.

Therefore, when determining which is more appropriate to use, the context is what matters.

In casual situations, the euphemism "passed-away" might be the better option.

answered Mar 17 '15 at 14:35

Othya

1,308

"dead brother's grandson" VS "passed-away brother's grandson"

4 Answers4