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Path: utzoo!linus!security!genrad!decvax!harpo!floyd!clyde!akgua!glc
From: glc@akgua.UUCP (g.l. cleveland )
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: Cousins taxonomy
Message-ID: <336@akgua.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 5-Oct-83 02:02:54 EDT
Article-I.D.: akgua.336
Posted: Wed Oct  5 02:02:54 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 6-Oct-83 02:15:56 EDT
Organization: Western Electric, Atlanta
Lines: 65


   John Opalko put out a call for HELP on the taxonomy (how's that
   for a 50-cent word!) of cousins.  Herewith is my feeble effort
   at a response.

              ON THE TERMINOLOGY OF GENEALOGY
Many times we hear the phrases "Second cousin, Third cousin once
removed, First cousin twice removed, ..." and often wonder what is
being communicated.

Relationships between persons on different generational levels
are defined by the "removed" terminology.  If that phrase bothers
you, be aware that it is really a shortened form of the true
description, which is "{One|Two|Three|...} generations removed."
So the term "Second cousins, twice removed" can be expanded to:
"Second cousins, two generations removed (apart)"

                  common parent
                        |
     -------------------+--------------------
     |   |                              |   |
     Q   R     <-----siblings----->     S   T
         |                              |
       --+--                          --+--
       |   |                          |   |
       M   N   <---first cousins-->   O   P
       |                                  |
     --+--                              --+--
     |   |                              |   |
     I   J     <--second cousins-->     K   L
         |                              |
       --+--                          --+--
       |   |                          |   |
       E   F   <---third cousins-->   G   H
       |                                  |
     --+--                              --+--
     |   |                              |   |
     A   B     <--fourth cousins-->     C   D

In the above chart,

  N and P are first cousins
  N and K are first cousins (once removed) 
  N and H are first cousins (twice removed)
  N and D are first cousins (thrice removed)

Of course, for very close relationships, there are special terms,
such as Grandmother/Grandfather, Aunt/Uncle, Great-Aunt/Great-Uncle,

An interesting aspect to all this has to do with the prohibition in
some states against first cousins marrying.  Many of these laws
perhaps originated due to the precepts in the Old Testament.
But there was probably a bit of cultural wisdom buried in the
lawmaker's decisions.  When you look back into the European history
and note the many references to the disasterous progeny produced by
the close inbreeding of the Nobility, and couple this with the
years of livestock breeding which the agrarian society of the day
had, you can easily understand the motives behind such laws.

Cheers,
  Lindsay

Lindsay Cleveland  (...{ihnp4|mhux?|clyde}!akgua!glc)
AT&T Western Electric/Bell Labs ... Atlanta, Ga
(404) 447-3909 ...  Cornet 583-3909