Japanese and Chinese speakers & students - a question.

[alfreda89]

Is there a word for the concept of Last Child? This is in a enclave on one of the Seven Sisters. Population growth is encouraged, but only to a point -- any child who is the fifth child in a family is "Extra" and does not have the same rights as the others. They can emigrate, join a trading outfit for ten years and return home solvent and as an immigrant, or join the military (when the country is at war, you have a 30% chance of making it back in one piece.)

So -- this concept may or may not be a pejorative, as these are family members. But they don't have the same destiny, and are rarely moved up in pecking order if someone dies, as health care is excellent.

Ack, I have an appt! Later --

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Not that I'm aware of, at least in modern Han Chinese. But I'm only a learner.

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

Sorry, vocabulary nitpick: when they are leaving to join the trading outfit, they are emigrating. The merging of those two concepts (fueled by the current right-wing teapot-tempest over "illegal immigrants") is one of my pet peeves.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

That was just me writing too fast, Lee, thanks for the catch. I'll change it!