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Sun 23 Sep, 2007 09:08 am
what are the differences between chinese and English in categorizing kinfolk?
I need you help!!!!
I need your specifics!
What are you trying to get at -- titles of relatives? Who inherits what?
How far do you want to go?
Give some examples if you're in such a rush.
i want to know how the chinese categorize its kinfolk and also the English.
such as the family trees
English/American -- this is actually a subject covered by the Wills, Trusts and Estates class in any standard Law School.
Most of this stuff you know by heart, e. g. anyone with the same two parents as you is your brother or sister, anyone with only one of the same parents as you is your half-brother or half-sister and anyone who is the child of someone your mother or father married either before or after they had you, and who is not otherwise related to you, is your stepmother or stepfather and their children are your stepbrothers or stepsisters. So, for example, if your Mom marries a man after your father passes away or divorces her, if her second husband has any preexisting kids they are your stepbrothers and stepsisters. If your Mom and he have any children then those are half-brothers and half-sisters, not just to you but to your stepbrothers and stepsisters as well.
The parents of your parents are your grandparents. Your parents' siblings are your aunts and uncles, and that includes their spouses. I am, for example, not related by blood to my husband's sister's son, but he is still considered my nephew and I am still his aunt. If he gets a baby sister, she would be my niece. My husband, of course, is uncle to both.
The children of your aunts and uncles are your first cousins. Their children are your first cousins once removed. If you also have children, then your children are second cousins to your first cousins' children. If you have grandchildren, and so do your first cousins, then the grandchildren are third cousins to each other.
Your nieces' and nephews' children are your grandnieces and grandnephews, but you're actually called their great-aunt or great-uncle. If your niece or nephew have grandchildren, then those are your great-grandnephews or great-grandnieces. And you are their great-grandaunt or great-granduncle.
I have no idea how it works for the Chinese. One thing, though, in the law in the US -- most states do not allow first cousin marriages (although a few do), but it's pretty much open season on second cousin marriages. Second cousins have a set of great-grandparents in common, whereas first cousins have two sets of grandparents in common.
I seem to remember that Chinese designations are much more specific; "my wife's younger brother" and such. English designations are pretty general.
For example, my aunt might be:
My mom's older sister
My mom's younger sister
My mom's twin sister
My dad's older sister
My dad's younger sister
My dad's twin sister
My mom's older brother's wife
My mom's younger brother's wife
My mom's twin brother's wife
My dad's older brother's wife
My dad's younger brother's wife
My dad's twin brother's wife
I think that about covers it! :-)