#afaik Gilgamesh never use it in Akkadian nor Sumerian (cmiiw)

[1-lightofjustice]

Using "Sibling Title" in Romantic Relationship Is NOT Incest

You know, interacting with majorly English community about Asian media made me realize that English doesn't have any "sibling title", something that was so common in Asia (and perhaps other continent too cmiiw), thus I noticed some of them have a little difficulty on perceiving what "sibling title" actually meant. Combined with shipping war and incest allegory, many misunderstanding are created. Somehow yesterday I happen to stumble upon two of them in almost the same moment so I wanna make this post to vent my frustration.

First is this :

The segment that they meant is when Kota called Izuku "nii-chan" and Ochako "nee-chan" after Ochako's speech.

Yes, Kota called Izuku "Big Brother" and Ochako with "Big Sister". But really, even the translator clearly explained in their translation that "nii-chan" and "nee-chan" are not only title for older siblings but also title/name for a young teen or 20-ish boy/girl (overall people still in youth). Other people on twitter (X who?) pointed out that Kota means those title in relation to him and not to Izuku-Ochako, which is true, Kota may think of Izuku and Ochako as his big brother and sister at that situation. But even if he's not, he will still use "nii-chan" and "nee-chan" titles toward Izuku and Ochako because that's the title that was correct from person on Kota's age to people on Izuku/Ochako's age. Of course, that doesn't mean Izuku and Ochako are bounded by sibling/familial relationship in any form.

For example, this is a "7 years old" kid Conan ("a young boy" in disguise, for complicated reason) called 18 years old Heiji and Kazuha with "nii-chan" and "nee-chan" while at the same time helping them to hook up. He didn't really think of them as his brother/sister like in personal level, but he still used "sibling title" because that was the appropriate ethic for him.

Next is the example in broader sense, but the point is still because they are "brothers", there's no way Gilgamesh and Enkidu have romantic relationship.

let's pretend it's not completely bizarre to input arabic perception on a story with a language that way predates arabic, with different time, culture, and setting. Let's use arabic now. Brother in Arabic is "akhi", derived from Akkadian "ahu", the language that was used on 12 tablet Epic of Gilgamesh standard version ("Ses" is Hittite/Sumerian version).

This is the excerpt from Epic tablet by Andrew George, when the word "ahu" is used to described Gilgamesh and Enkidu :

The thing is, "ahu" may meant brotherhood, but they don't necessarily mean bounded by familial forbid-to-marry relationship. The word "ahu" can mean brother of same social standing, close male associate, or the proof of companionship, for example King Tushratta used "brother" (ahu in akkadian, shesh in sumerian) to Pharaoh Egypt which they have brother-kingdom relationship. Of course they are not "family" with each other and their family can marry each other.

Even if, as the commenter said, translated into arabic, "akhi" is not meant for strictly brotherly relationship. The word itself means "brother, close male friend, male associate". In fact, there's webtoon in my country (Muslim majority) that has female lead called her love interest "akhi". And this is her pray so God can make her meet her "akhi".

Translation : "There has been 6 years passed but I still haven't meet "akhi". Please God lead him to be close to me"

Of course when the female lead called her crush "akhi" she doesn't mean that there's familial feeling from her to him that prevent her for wanting to marry "akhi". And readers from my country completely expect her to still call her husband "akhi" even after marriage.

Those "sibling title" are not and never strictly platonic. Those are title for almost-familial-but-not-really attachment, usually to emphasis social construct. It just, I don't know the exact term but I call it "polite endearment title". When it comes to romantic relationship/marriage, even with "sibling title" there will be no incest feeling involved as long as the couple are not bounded by blood of close family, share the same mother's milk/wetnurse, nor raised together from before puberty (the latter may depend on situation).

P.S : I wonder, do English users find it weird if we Asian use the exact same title for sibling and for romantic partner? Like, you guys know that Korean fangirls called their idols that they want to date/marry as "oppas" in the same word as they call their "oppa" in home, right? I am Javanese, I call my blood-brother "mas", and I expect to use that word for my husband too, like my sister who called her husband "mas" even though she's older than him.