# Relation (kinship) terminology

Understanding of relation terminology is an essential part of any work related to genealogy. Some terms that define a relation degree, for example, the widespread word "ancestor", has a general meaning: any person from the family tree, starting from the grandfather. However, there are terms that define a relation degree between persons succinctly. Such terms must be used within context—where they correspond to their meaning. The following diagram depicts an understanding of relation terms.

                                     1-2 - man and wife;
      THE FIRST RELATION DEGREE:     1-3 - father and son,
                                     1-4 - father and daughter,
                                     2-3 - mother and son,
                                     2-4 - mother and daughter;
      THE SECOND RELATION DEGREE:    1-8 and 1-11 - grandfather and granddaughters,
                                     2-10 and 2-12 - grandmother and grandsons;
      THE THIRD RELATION DEGREE:     1-15 and 1-17 - great-grandfather and great-grandchildren,
                                     3-10 - uncle and nephew,
                                     4-8 - aunt and niece;
      THE FOURTH RELATION DEGREE:    8-11 and 10-12 - cousins,
                                     3-15 and 3-17 - grand-uncle and grand-nephews,
                                     4-14 and 4-16 - grand-aunt and grand-nieces;
      THE FIFTH RELATION DEGREE:     12-15 and 12-17 - cousin of one's father or mother and children of one's first cousin;
      THE SIXTH RELATION DEGREE:     14-15 and 16-17 - second cousins;

      THE FIRST DEGREE OF PROPERTY:  1-5 - father-in-law (husband's father) and daughter-in-law,
                                     1-6 - father-in-law (wife's father) and son-in-law,
                                     2-6 - mother-in-law (wife's mother) and son-in-law,
                                     2-5 - mother-in-law (husband's mother) and daughter-in-law;
      THE SECOND DEGREE OF PROPERTY: 7-8 - daughter-in-law and sister-in-law,
                                     9-10 - son-in-law and brother-in-law (wife's brother),
                                     13-16 - son-in-law and sister-in-law (wife's sister),
                                     17-18 - brother-in-law (husband's brother) and sister-in-law (the brother's wife);
      THE THIRD DEGREE OF PROPERTY:  13-19 - brothers-in-law (husbands of the sisters),
                                     18-20 - sisters-in-law (wives of the brothers).

Relation terminology is varied and complicated. Most of the terms have vanished from modern language and are used rarely. Some terms are used only within certain communities. In fact, when you are talking with your relatives or elderly persons you may hear an unfamiliar word in conversation. Therefore, there is reason to become more familiar with relation terminology.

There are three groups of terms:

- relation (blood ties),
- quality (by marriages),
- and close (spiritual) unrelated relations.

### Relation terms

When becoming familiar with relation terms, remember that terms of blood relation contain keywords and attributes of relation degree.

#### Keywords:

- Grandparent, grandmother - mother of father or mother, wife of grandfather.
- Brother - each of sons of single parents.
- Bratan, bratanik, bratenja, bratenik, bratel'nik † - cousin.
- Bratanna† - brother's daughter, niece on brother's line.
- Bratel'nica† - kinswoman in general, a relative on grandfather's or grandmother's line, or a distant relative.
- Bratych† - brother's son, nephew on brother's line.
- Grandson - daughter's or son's son; also, nephew's or niece's son.
- Granddaughter, vnuka† - daughter's or son's daughter; also, nephew's or niece's daughter.
- Grandfather - mother's or father's father.
- Dedina, dedka† - aunt on uncle's line.
- Dedich† - direct heir on grandfather's line.
- Daughter - female towards her parents.
- Dshcherich† - nephew on aunt's line.
- Dshchersha† - niece on aunt's line.
- Uncle - mother's or father's brother.
- Mother - female towards her children.
- Father - male towards her children.
- Otcenachal'nik† - the eldest in the generation.
- Otchinnik, otchich† - son, heir.
- Nephew - brother's or sister's son.
- Niece - brother's or sister's daughter.
- Plemjash† - relative.
- Progenitor - the first known couple of the family line, that started the family.
- Forefather, prashchur† - great-great-grandfather's or great-great-grandmother's parent.
- Forefather, rodonachal'nik† - the first known person of the line, that started the pedigree.
- Sister - each of daughters of single parents.
- Sestrennica† - cousin, daughter of mother's or father's sister.
- Sestrenka, sestrina, sestrichka† - cousin.
- Sestrenich, sestrich† - son of mother's or father's sister, nephew of the sister's line.
- Son - male towards her parents.
- Aunt - mother's or father's sister.

#### Attributes of relation degree:

- Grand uncle - grandfather's or grandmother's brother.
- Grand aunt - grandfather's or grandmother's sister.
- Vnuchatnyj, vnuchatyj† - when one talks about a relation that begins three or more generations ago.
- Dvojurodnyj† - when one talks about a relation that begins two generations ago.
- Blood - when one talks about a relation within a single family.
- Lesser uncle - father's or mother's brother.
- Lesser aunt - father's or mother's sister.
- Homogeneous - when one talks about an origin from a single father.
- Single-uterine, odnoutrobnyj† - when one talks about an origin from a single mother.
- Own, polnorodnyj† - when one talks about an origin from single parents.
- Pre - prefix that designates a relation in distant ascending or descending order.
- Privenchannyj† - when one talks about an origin from one of the parents, and when the child had been born before the parents married, but legitimated later.
- Stepchild, Svodnyj† - a child that was born to their husband or wife during a previous relationship.
- Trojurodnyj† - see vnuchatyj.

†This is non-English words, this is transliteration of Russian words. It's impossible to translate some Russian native dialect words.

### Property terms

- Bratanikha† - cousin's wife.
- Brother's one, bratova† - brother's wife.
- Widow - a woman whose husband has died and who has not married again.
- Widower - a man whose wife has died and who has not married again.
- Brother-in-law - husband's brother.
- Wife - a man's wife is the woman he is married to.
- fiancé - a man to whom a woman is engaged to be married.
- Sister-in-law (zolovica, zolova)† - husband's sister, sometimes -- brother's wife.
- Brother-in-law, zjat'† - husband of one's daughter, sister, sister-in-law.
- Husband - a woman's husband is the man she is married to.
- Daughter-in-law - son's wife.
- Son-in-law's father, daughter-in-law's father, son-in-law's mother, daughter-in-law's mother - parents of a couple and their relatives towards to each other.
- Father-in-law - husband's father.
- Mother-in-law - husband's mother.
- Connection - preson in law relations by wife's or husband's lines.
- Brother-in-laws, svojak† - husbands of two sisters.
- Svojaki dvojurodnye† - husbands of two cousins.
- Daughter-in-law (snokha, synokha)† - son's wife.
- Snoshennica† - brother-in-law's wife, wives of two brothers, daughter-in-laws.
- Suprug† - husband.
- Supruga† - wife.
- Father-in-law - wife's father.
- Mother-in-law - wife's mother.
- Brother-in-law (shurin)† - wife's btoher.

### Unrelated relation terms

Unrelated relations are of great value in a persons' life. These relations impacted genealogical terms. It is worth noting that unrelated relation terms are close to blood relation terms. Try not to confuse them.

- Brat krestnyj† - godfather's son.
- Brat krestovyj, brat po krestu, brat nazvannyj † - men who exchanged their crosses, worn next to the skin.
- Ded krestnyj† - godfather's father.
- Doch' nazvannaja† - foster-child.
- Under-tutor - a person who looks after and oversees the child.
- Kum, kuma† - see godfather and godmother.
- Godmother, mat' krestovaja† - a woman who takes the child from font during baptizing.
- Mat' nazvannaja† - foster-child's mother.
- Mat' molochnaja† - wet nurse.
- Mat' posazhennaja† - a woman who replaces fiancé’s mother on wedding.
- Stepmother - another wife of one's father, foster mother.
- Godfather - a man who takes the child from font during baptizing.
- Otec nazvanyj† - foster-child's father.
- Otec pribesednyj, otec posazhenyj, otec rjazhenyj † - a man who replaces fiance's father on wedding.
- Stepfather - another husband of one's mother, foster father.
- Stepdaughter - a daughter that was born during a previous relationship, relative to a foster parent.
- Stepson - a son that was born during a previous relationship, relative to a foster parent.
- Stepchildren - brother and sisters that were born from different parents.
- Godson (syn krestnyj, krestnik)† - a male relatively to man or woman who takes the child from font during baptizing.
- Syn nazvanyj† - foster-child.
- Adopted boy (usynovlennyj)† - a male relatively to his foster parents.
- Adopted girl (udocherennaja)† - a female relatively to her foster parents.

† These are non-English words impossible to translate from Russian native dialects.

"Where are your roots? Guide to pedigree compiling" Copyright © Vitalij Jakovlevich Bomash