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Archiver > TMG > 2004-06 > 1086126965


From: Lee Hoffman <>
Subject: RE: [TMG] Relationship
Date: Tue, 01 Jun 2004 17:58:22 -0400


Darrell Martin wrote:
>I agree with you about terminology, but I think your reasoning on the
>genetic side is faulty.

I didn't say anything about genes. I was talking about blood relationships
as opposed to non-blood relationship and sharing of ancestors. True, the
sharing of ancestors means that genetic sharing has a greater probability.

>I can have cousins that share 1, 2, 3, or 4 grandparents with me (examples
>of 4 in my own family -- siblings married siblings). They are by term, in
>English, all "first cousins" to me. However, the chance for genetic
>sharing with a "double cousin" is roughly four times that of a
>"half-cousin" if all of the grandparents are otherwise unrelated,
>regardless of correct usage.

The operative word here is "chance". Yes, with greater number of blood
relationships, the genetic sharing is a greater.probability. So the term
"double cousin" and "half cousin" have _some_ basis in genetics. But that
was not what I was talking about.

>I think we need to realize that people do use those terms, sometimes,
>correct or not. I *don't* think TMG needs to use them if they are not
>generally accepted. For example, if I married my brother-in-law's
>half-sister, our children *might* be referred to as "one-and-a-half
>cousins". I hope I never see that in print as actual usage [grin].

Right. This and the usual "half-" and "double-" relationships are really
social relationships more than anything else. My wife has 16 first cousins
of which five are almost double first cousins. Almost is due to the fact
that her mother and her aunt are half-sisters (same mother), and her father
and uncle are full siblings. So would that be "one & a half cousins"
again? Yeah, right! Yuch!! It's a lot easier to say "double" and most
people understand -- even though it is not a recognized (by any authority)
as a valid term. But in any case, it is more social than biological
anyway. Her relationship to her double cousins is no closer than her
other cousins although each recognizes the relationship as "special".


Lee Hoffman/KY
TMG Tips: <http://www.tmgtips.com>;
My website: <http://www.tmgtips.com/lhoffman>;
A user of the best genealogy program, The Master Genealogist (TMG)

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