What does it mean...

[Lolita]

...when they say "this is my cousin, twice removed"?

removed from what??

[oblongmelon]

from the original shared ancestor I would think-

[whitak24]

actually, it means you're two generations apart. thanks to the helpful folks at genealogy.com:


Removed
When the word "removed" is used to describe a relationship, it indicates that the two people are from different generations. You and your first cousins are in the same generation (two generations younger than your grandparents), so the word "removed" is not used to describe your relationship.

The words "once removed" mean that there is a difference of one generation. For example, your mother's first cousin is your first cousin, once removed. This is because your mother's first cousin is one generation younger than your grandparents and you are two generations younger than your grandparents. This one-generation difference equals "once removed."

Twice removed means that there is a two-generation difference. You are two generations younger than a first cousin of your grandmother, so you and your grandmother's first cousin are first cousins, twice removed.
check out this link:
http://www.genealogy.com/16_cousn.html?Welcome=1085715745

it's very helpful in explaining the somewhat difficult topic of how to classify different relatives.

[DaFunkyUnit]

i always thought "mom's 1st cousin" = your aunt.

i always used aunt & uncle as the catch all term. or sometimes, great-uncle, and great-aunt. etc...

[Markel]

i always thought "mom's 1st cousin" = your aunt.
Because "mom's 1st cousin" is likely about the same age as your aunt (mom's sister) a lot of families end up calling 1st cousins once removed "aunt" (or uncle, where appropriate ;) ). I imagine that's a lot easier for the young kids to learn.

[oblongmelon]

actually, it means you're two generations apart. thanks to the helpful folks at genealogy.com:

check out this link:
http://www.genealogy.com/16_cousn.html?Welcome=1085715745

it's very helpful in explaining the somewhat difficult topic of how to classify different relatives.

OMG how NUTS...I got cofuzzled even reading this! :) (as long as your daddy aint your uncle grampa you're safe ;) )

[Nija]

It means that you two can have sex and it won't be incest :hihi:

[brainsmile]

forget trying to examine the British royal family then

[oblongmelon]

forget trying to examine the British royal family then
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHA......there we go! well said. They ARE the most inbred family in the world at this point as far as anyone knows...with the exception of perhaps the HAPSBURGS from which the whole Saxe CoBurg Mountbattan Windsor tribe has all sprung.

[DarkFury]

i always thought "mom's 1st cousin" = your aunt.

i always used aunt & uncle as the catch all term. or sometimes, great-uncle, and great-aunt. etc...

Umm... no.

Mom's SISTER is your Aunt... Mom's COUSIN is your COUSIN. There is a difference.

Basically, Mom's Cousin is her Mom's/Dad's (your Grandma or Grandpa) Aunt's/Uncle's Daughter or Son... which is ultimately your cousin as well (or 2nd Cousin if you go by how we call them. :D )



Confused enough yet? :D

[DaFunkyUnit]

Umm... no.

Mom's SISTER is your Aunt... Mom's COUSIN is your COUSIN. There is a difference.

Basically, Mom's Cousin is her Mom's/Dad's (your Grandma or Grandpa) Aunt's/Uncle's Daughter or Son... which is ultimately your cousin as well (or 2nd Cousin if you go by how we call them. :D )



Confused enough yet? :D

it just doesnt feel right calling someone who's old enough to be your Aunt a Cousin.

i've always thought a cousin is like a bro/sis that you only see at family reunions.

[DarkFury]

it just doesnt feel right calling someone who's old enough to be your Aunt a Cousin.

i've always thought a cousin is like a bro/sis that you only see at family reunions.
It might not feel right, but that is EXACTLY what it is...

BTW... I have cousins who are in their 40s, 50s, and 60s while I am in my 30s... and I don't think of them as "Aunts and Uncles"... they are just "cousins".

Besides, for some of them, I am close to THEIR kids who are around my age, which definitely makes us "2nd cousins"... the funny thing is... I have a few cousins, who are from opposite sides of my family (one is from my Mom's and one is from my Dad's side of the family), but through their association through me, they have become friends as well...

They call themselves, "The cousins of a cousin", which I thought was pretty funny. :hihi:

[Airencracken]

So could you call your Cousin twice removed your great cousin?

[ufcrusher]

it just doesnt feel right calling someone who's old enough to be your Aunt a Cousin.

i've always thought a cousin is like a bro/sis that you only see at family reunions.

I have first cousins who are 26 and 27 years younger than me respectively. Definitely enough difference there to be my kids, but they are my cousins.

[CornMonkey]

how funny...i was thinking about this exact same topic last night too. man, this is all kinda confusing.

[Lolita]

:eye: I'm glad I asked


I think I'll stick to "this is my relative of some kind"

[ShawnLee]

In Korean, they go by steps of removal. chon. So your uncle is 3-chon. 1 up from you to your parent, another from your parent to your grandparents, 1 back down to your uncle, that's three. Your cousin is 4-chon because you go down one more from your uncle. Why do I say this? I don't know either.