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Affinity |
relationships which exist
because of marital ties. The contemporary term for these relations is
"in-laws." |
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Augmented
family |
extension of nuclear family
to include people bound together by law, rather than blood; e.g. half
siblings, adopted children, step-parents, step-siblings, etc |
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Aunt
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in American society, this
term can refer to a woman in four different relative positions: father's
sister, mother's sister, father's brother's wife, mother's brother's wife. |
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Brother |
in addition to obvious
meaning may also include (1) the husband of one's sister (2) the brother
of one's wife (3) the husband of one's sister-in-law, (3) half-brother (4)
step-brother. Genealogists must also be aware "brother" may refer to a
member of one's church |
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Collateral
family |
referring to relatives who
are "off to one side" i.e. not in the direct lineal ancestry, but who
share a common ancestor. In western society, these people are called
aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. |
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Consanguinity |
refers to persons who share
common descent or biological heritage. |
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Cousin |
very
general term in American society referring to someone with whom you share
a common ancestor. Can refer to a person occupying relationship on either
mother or father's side; may also refer to someone related only by
affinity. If this person is in a different generation, the term "removed"
is used giving the number of generations apart. |
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Extended
family |
when families of more than
two generations compose a household or relationship. |
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Full
sibling |
one who has the same
biological mother and father (thus the same ancestry) as oneself A half
sibling has one of the same parents (and therefore shares only one side of
the lineage) as oneself. |
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In
Law |
in contemporary society, term
used to designate someone to whom you are related by your own marriage or
that of a sibling. In colonial society, this term also referred to
relationships created by the marriage of a parent, currently called "step"
relationships. Thus a "mother-in-law" in the 17th century, may have been a
father's second wife. |
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Natural
child |
when the term "natural" is
used the researcher should not jump to a conclusion that it denotes an
illegitimate relationship. It is meant to indicate a relationship by blood
rather than one by marriage or adoption. An illegitimate child may be
called "my base son" or "my bastard son." |
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Nephew/Niece |
one who is the child of a
sibling (or a half-sibling, or step-sibling, or a spouse's sibling, or
your spouse's spouse's sibling. Since the term derives from the Latin
term, "nepos" meaning grandson, it is possible an
early colonial reference may have this meaning. |
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Now
wife |
often assumed that the
testator of a will with this term had a former wife. While this may be
true, it is more likely the testator is indicating the bequest is intended
only for his present wife and not necessarily to any subsequent wife he
may have. Donald Lines Jacobus wrote, ".... it is to be doubted whether
any other legal phrase has fooled so many of our most experienced
genealogists. |
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Nuclear
family |
a family group consisting of
mother, father and dependent children. |
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Step-sibling |
one related by virtue of a
parent's marriage to an individual with children by a former marriage or
relationship. While no relation by blood, there can be strong ties of
emotion and tradition between step-siblings. |
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Uncle |
in American society this term
can refer to a man in four different relative positions: father's brother;
mother's brother; father's sister's husband; mother's sisters's husband. |
