If a dad shows signs of love and protection etc for is boy he is being "fatherly" - what's the word for being a good son towards his parent? While fatherly, motherly and even daughterly sound fine, sonnerly sounds crap - is there a word?
just one word - sonly perhaps? still doesn't sound right... maybe it's just because it's not used often...
"Filial" comes to mind. "Sonly" doesn't quite fit with what you're going for. Edit: on second thought, filial might not work since it would have to go with another word.
@thirdwind That was my thought, though it is more a child's love for a parent rather than just being reserved for the son. I've hunted high and low for a single word. I wonder if there even is one... and if not, why not?
What's being Norn Irish got to do with brain size? On second thoughts, don't answer that. If our politicians are anything to go by, 'nuff said.
Abelesque? By the way, here is a link to a reverse dictionary: http://www.onelook.com/reverse-dictionary.shtml
I don't think there is a word, but I think that is partly because it's difficult to determine what, exactly, this means -- being a "good son" could mean behaving, doing what the parents expect, becoming independent and not needing the parents anymore, etc. It could, though, also mean a role-reversal, if the son has to care for the parent due to age/illness/infirmity. That would require more of an explanation/description than just one word, like "It was so odd for John to feel paternalistic toward his own father. Everything about that seemed wrong," or something along those lines that describes the complex feelings involved.
...consider a sentence such as: He performed his fatherly duties with dedication and determination. ...there, you can substitute 'motherly' or 'daughterly' or yes, even 'sonly' and be grammatically correct... 'sonly' is a word and is in the dictionary... but it is not often used...
"Sonly" is an adjective, not an adverb. There's an adverb "filially", defined more or less as "in a manner relating to, or befitting a son", but I think it's almost never used. A longer expression, like one or two of those suggested above, is going to be better.
'sonly' is also an adverb... as in: He performed his duties in a sonly manner. i wouldn't recommend using it, though, as it's too likely to be misunderstood, or taken for a typo...
I think this is a key point to keep in mind -- just because a word is technically proper, if it has fallen into disuse, a lot of readers may not really understand right away what you are trying to convey. In other words, it could jolt the reader and temporarily take him out of the story, or he may just skip over it and not take the time to really understand what you meant. Of course, there is always the argument that you can teach the reader, and readers should be learning, and maybe they'll learn a new word, etc. But you have to weigh how important that is to you -- teaching the reader a new word, or conveying your story.
Any adjective acquires an adverbial meaning when put into the clause "in a -------- manner", doesn't it? It's the word "manner" that imbues the adverbial meaning, there. "Sonly", per se, is an adjective, I think? My dictionaries certainly seem to think so, anyway. Good point about the possibility of its being taken for a typo!
I am going to commit the cardinal sin of making assumptions about people and assume that you don't have children. I would be searching for adverbs that conveyed notions such as "actually did as he was asked first time", "remembered to wash his hands when he went up to bed", or "didn't argue or answer back". Dad are usually regarded as cash dispensing taxi drivers. Not sure that many 'dutiful' sons really exist. Seems an arcane notion in most families I am aware of. Words such as considerate, thoughtful, respectful (my son would guffaw) might help.
Obviously the wrong one! The only time my eldest is dutiful is when he is working the conversation around to mentioning something that he absolutely needs that requires money, or a lift somewhere, or both.
Devoted, obedient, amicable, amiable, doting, worshipping, disciplined, respectful, submissive, following, chosen, anointed, beatific, shining and various adverb phrases...
My dad always gave me and my sister lifts, and even our friends. Often our friends would be about to walk home, whether in the afternoon or after sunset, a 30min walk or so usually, and my parents would offer. Many of my friends' dads also often drove us around as we'd sometimes share lifts, it's by no means only my family. My husband's father also often help out doing various things by driving, and my husband himself too. All of these men also do a great deal of housework, for that matter. There're really plenty of men who'd go out of their way to help people, esp their own family. So I should ask you what world do *you* live in, maia? Apparently not a very pleasant one.
