The Chinese kinship system is classified as a Sudanese kinship system (also referred to as the "Descriptive system") used to define family. Identified by Lewis Henry Morgan in his 1871 work Systems of Consanguinity and Affinity of the Human Family, the Sudanese system is one of the six major kinship systems together with Eskimo, Hawaiian, Iroquois, Crow, and Omaha. i like chicken Kinship and descent is one of the major concepts of cultural anthropology. ... Sudanese kinship (also referred to as the Descriptive system) is a kinship system used to define family. ... A family in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in 1997 A family consists of a domestic group of people (or a number of domestic groups), typically affiliated by birth or marriage, or by analogous or comparable relationships — including domestic partnership, cohabitation, adoption, surname and (in some cases) ownership (as occurred in the... Lewis Henry Morgan (1818-1881) was an American lawyer and amateur scholar best known for his work on cultural evolution and Native Americans. ... Eskimo kinship (also referred to as Lineal kinship) is a kinship system used to define family. ... Hawaiian kinship (also referred to as the Generational system) is a kinship system used to define family. ... Iroquois Kinship (also known as Bifurcate merging) is a kinship system used to define family. ... Crow kinship is a kinship system used to define family. ... Omaha kinship is a kinship system used to define family. ...

The Sudanese kinship system (and hence the Chinese kinship system), is the most complicated of all kinship systems. It maintains a separate designation for almost every one of ego's kin based on their generation, their lineage, their relative age, and their gender. eGO is a company that builds electric motor scooters which are becoming popular for urban transportation and vacation use. ...

In the Chinese kinship system:

• Maternal and paternal lineages are distinguished. For example, a mother's brother and a father's brother have different terms.
• The relative age of a sibling relation is considered. For example, a father's younger brother has a different terminology than his older brother.
• The gender of the relative is distinguished, like in English.
• The generation from ego is indicated, like in English.

Chinese kinship is agnatic, emphasising patrilineality. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... In hereditary monarchies, particularly in more ancient or in more underdeveloped times, seniority was a much used principle of order of succession. ... Patrilineality (a. ...

Kinship and Chinese societies

Literature and history

Kinship terms have already appeared in the earliest Chinese lexicon Erya. Chapter Four 釋親 is dedicated to explain kinship and marriage. Another lexicon from late Han Dynasty Shiming has a detail list of form of address of all relatives. The Erya (爾雅) is a Chinese dictionary from before the first century. ... Han Dynasty commanderies and kingdoms, AD 2 Capital Changan (202 BC–9 AD) Luoyang (25 AD–190 AD) Language(s) Chinese Religion Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism Government Monarchy History  - Establishment 206 BC  - Battle of Gaixia; Han rule of China begins 202 BC  - Interruption of Han rule 9 AD - 24 AD... The Shìmíng (Chinese: ; Wade-Giles: Shih Ming; Explaining Names or Explanation of Names) is a Chinese dictionary that employed phonological glosses, and is believed to date from c. ...

With the influence of Confucianism, the concepts of kinship and consanguinity are deeply ingrained in Chinese culture. One of Confucian teachings is filial piety, where it is extended to a series of five relationships known as the Five Cardinal Relationships, (五倫).^[1] three of which are related to the family: The image above is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Consanguinity, literally meaning common blood, describes how close a person is related to another in the sense of a family. ... Filial piety is extended into the afterlife. ...

• ruler and subject (君臣),
• father and son (父子),
• elder and younger brother (兄弟),
• husband and wife (夫婦),
• between friends (朋友)

In the Three Character Classic, the nine agnates are listed in the following stanza: The Three Character Classic, Trimetric Classic or San Zi Jing (Traditional Chinese: , Simplified Chinese: ) is one of the Chinese classic texts. ... Patrilineality (a. ...

Culture

In Chinese culture where the extended family is still valued, kinship terms are ensured to survive well into current usage. Also, since it is taboo to refer to or address a more senior family relation by his or her given name, the kinship term is the only possible term of address. In the case where there are multiple siblings such as found in many Post-World War II baby boom families, the relation is distinguished and addressed according to their age or rank. For example 大 (great/senior/elder) is address for 大姨 (the eldest sister of one's mother); 二姨 (the 2nd eldest sister of one's mother); 三姨 (3rd eldest sister of one's mother) etc. This article is about cultural prohibitions in general, for other uses, see Taboo (disambiguation). ... As is often the case with a large war, after the end of World War II many countries around the globe, notably those of Europe, Asia, North America, and Australasia experienced a baby boom. ...

Because some of these terms have no equivalent in foreign languages, they are not easily translated and the descriptiveness often lost in translation.

Law

The Great Qing Legal Code (《大清律例》) was the last set of Chinese laws where the complete kinship terms were shown. The Qing code not only confirmed the importance of defining kinship relations, but also defined the legal and moral conducts between family relations. Although there was no specific statute in the Qing code to define kinship terms, it specified the mourning attire and ritual appropriate according to the relation between the mourner and the deceased. Kinship relationships also played a crucial role in the administration of justice under the Qing. Penalties were more severe for crimes committed against senior relatives within the family hierarchy. Crimes committed against those outside of the extended family were punished less harshly. Crimes committed by senior family members against their inferiors were least likely to elicit harsh sentences. The Great Qing Legal Code or Qing Code (Chinese: 大清律例; Manchu: Daicing gurun-i fafun-i bithe kooli) was the legal code of Qing dynasty (1644-1912). ... The Qing Dynasty (Manchu: daicing gurun; Chinese: 清朝; pinyin: qīng cháo; Wade-Giles: ching chao), sometimes known as the Manchu Dynasty, was founded by the Manchu clan Aisin Gioro, in what is today northeast China expanded into China proper and the surrounding territories of... Mourning is in the simplest sense synonymous with grief over the death of someone. ... A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value, which is prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. ...

Among the 47 statutes added in 1740 under Qianlong Emperor, Statute 2 (Charts/Tables of Mourning Attire, 《喪服諸圖》) and Statute 3 (Code of Attire, 《服制》) dealt with mourning attire completed with charts. According to Qing law, one had to observe a period of mourning when a relative died. The closer and more senior the deceased family member, the longer the period of mourning is dictated by law. The mourning period range from three months to three years. During this period, the bereaved had to stay at home, excuse himself from public service, refrain from celebrations of all sorts, and practice abstinence, among other things. The Statute of Grand Duchy of Lithuania A statute is a formal, written law of a country or state, written and enacted by its legislative authority, perhaps to then be ratified by the highest executive in the government, and finally published. ... The Qianlong Emperor (born Hongli, September 25, 1711 – February 7, 1799) was the fifth emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China. ...

The "extermination of nine kindreds" (誅九族) is considered one of the most severe punishments found in traditional Chinese law enforced until the end of Qing. The practice of exterminating the kins had been established since Qin when Emperor Qin Shi Huang (reigned 247 BC–221 BC) declared "Those who criticize the present with that of the past: Zu" (以古非今者族). Zu (族) referred to the "extermination of three kindreds" (三族): father, son and grandson. The extermination was to ensure the elimination of challenges to the throne and political enemies. Emperor Wen of Sui (reigned 581–604) abolished the practice but it was reintroduced by succeeding Emperor Yang (reigned 604–617). Not only did he bring back the punishment, but he also extended it to the nine kindreds. The Qin Dynasty (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chin Chao) (221 BCE - 206 BCE) was preceded by the Zhou Dynasty and followed by the Han Dynasty in China. ... The monarch known now as Qin Shi Huang (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chin Shih-huang) (November / December 260 BCE – September 10, 210 BCE), personal name Ying Zheng, was king of the Chinese State of Qin from 247 BCE to 221 BCE (officially still under the Zhou Dynasty), and then... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 290s BC 280s BC 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC - 240s BC - 230s BC 220s BC 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC Years: 252 BC 251 BC 250 BC 249 BC 248 BC - 247 BC - 246 BC 245 BC... Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 270s BC 260s BC 250s BC 240s BC 230s BC - 220s BC - 210s BC 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC Years: 226 BC 225 BC 224 BC 223 BC 222 BC - 221 BC - 220 BC 219 BC... Emperor Wen of Sui (541-604), personal name Yang Jian, also known by the Xianbei name Puliuru Jian (普六茹堅) during Northern Zhou, nickname Naluoyan (那羅延), was the founder and first emperor of Chinas Sui Dynasty. ... Events The Sui Dynasty replaces the Northern Zhou Dynasty, the last of the Northern Dynasties in China. ... Events April 13 - Sabinianus becomes Pope, succeeding Gregory I. September 13 - Pope Sabinianus is consecrated. ... Emperor Yang of Sui China (569 - March 11, 618), or Yangdi was the son and heir of Emperor Wen of Sui, and then the second emperor of Chinas Sui Dynasty. ... Events April 13 - Sabinianus becomes Pope, succeeding Gregory I. September 13 - Pope Sabinianus is consecrated. ... Events Sui Gong Di succeeds Sui Yang Di as emperor of China. ...

In the first year of reign of Ming Yongle Emperor (reigned 1402-1424), prominent historian Fāng Xìao-rú (方孝孺) elicited the offense worthy of the "extermination of nine kindreds" for refusing to write the inaugural address and for insulting the Emperor. He was recorded as saying in defiant to the would-be Emperor: "莫說九族，十族何妨！" ("Nevermind nine agnates, go ahead with ten!"). Thus he was granted his wish with perhaps the only and infamous case of "extermination of ten kindreds" (誅十族) in the history of China. In addition to the blood relations from his nine-agnates family hierarchy, his students and peers were added to be the 10th group. Altogether 873 people was said to have been executed. For other uses, see Ming. ... The Yongle Emperor (May 2, 1360 – August 12, 1424), born Zhu Di (Chu Ti) , was the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty of China from 1402 to 1424. ... Events September 14 - Battle of Homildon Hill. ... August 17 - Battle of Verneuil - An English force under John, Duke of Bedford defeats a larger French army under the Duke of Alençon, John Stewart, and Earl Archibald of Douglas. ... An inauguration is a ceremony of formal investiture whereby an individual assumes an office or position of authority or power. ...

To this day, a three-character Cantonese term citing the "death to the entire family" remains a powerful curse term in the Cantonese language. Look up Profanity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is on all of the Yue dialects. ...

Clan

Main article: Chinese clan

A Chinese clan is a patrilineal and patrilocal group of related Chinese people with a common surname sharing a common ancestor. In southern China, clan members could form a village known as an ancestral village. In Hong Kong, clan settlement is exemplified by walled villages. An ancestral village usually features a hall and shine honouring ancestral clan members. A clan pedigree can be found recording male members of the clan. A married woman is considered part of her husband's clan. A Chinese clan is a group of related Chinese people with a common surname and sharing a common ancestor and ancestral village (see clan). ... Most of the walled villages in Hong Kong are located in the New Territories. ... A pedigree chart is a chart which tells one all of the known phenotypes for an organism and its ancestors, most commonly humans, show dogs, and race horses. ...

Marriage and divorce

Main article: Chinese marriage

Marriage is an important rite signifying the coming together of two clans, and the beginning of a new family unit. Traditionally marriage in ethnic Chinese societies (Chinese: ; pinyin: hūn yīn) has been an arrangement between families. ...

Polygamy

Polygamy (specifically polygyny) had been practised in Chinese societies for thousands of years. Since Han Dynasty, Chinese men could technically have only one wife. It was common for privileged Chinese men to have a wife and various concubines, however. Those who could afford dowry and supporting a family of multiple concubines and children, polygyny provided a better chance of issuing heirs. The importance of this was apparent in the imperial court usually housing hundreds of concubines. Aside from concubinage, having multiple wives with equal status was also accepted prior to the ban of polygamy. The term polygamy (many marriages in late Greek) is used in related ways in social anthropology and sociobiology and sociology. ... The term polygyny (neo-Greek: poly+gune Many + Wives) is used in related ways in social anthropology and sociobiology. ... Han Dynasty commanderies and kingdoms, AD 2 Capital Changan (202 BC–9 AD) Luoyang (25 AD–190 AD) Language(s) Chinese Religion Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism Government Monarchy History  - Establishment 206 BC  - Battle of Gaixia; Han rule of China begins 202 BC  - Interruption of Han rule 9 AD - 24 AD... It has been suggested that Pilegesh be merged into this article or section. ... A dowry (also known as trousseau) is a gift of money or valuables given by the brides family to the grooms at the time of their marriage. ... For other uses, see inheritance (disambiguation). ...

In a concubinage situation, the wife, concubines and their children would live in the same household. Wives and concubines would often refer to each other as "sisters". As a concubine was not wedded in a marriage ceremony, she had fewer rights in the household. There was also no inter-clan relation between the man's clan and the concubine's own kin.

Polygamy was banned through the passage of the Marriage Act of 1953 in the People's Republic of China. In Hong Kong, polygamy was banned in 1971. Despite this, incidents of extra-marital affairs are rising. Some men have even established a family with their mistresses and children kept secret to their wives. There is a phenomenon of cross-border polygyny usually involving Hong Kong men and their mistresses living in Mainland China.^{[citation needed]}

Heir-apparent

Demographics

With modern Chinese governments advocating for smaller families through family planning campaigns and policy-making, large extended family may be a thing of the past. The People's Republic of China introduced its One-child policy in 1979 while The Family Planning Association of Hong Kong began its "Two is enough!" (兩個就夠哂數!) campaign in the 1970s. Contrasted with the large extended families created over pre-war and baby boom years, the average modern Chinese families now have much fewer children. Poster of Chinese birth control policy under the slogan Sweet Achievement. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, In the Western world, the focus shifted from the social activism of the sixties to social activities for ones own pleasure, save for environmentalism, which continued in a very visible way. ...

As of 2006, the fertility rates in Hong Kong and Macau ranked among the lowest two in the world. Hong Kong, ranked the lowest in the world, was the only territory with less than one child born per woman on the average. Both Mainland China and Taiwan were ranked well below the world average. Similarly, the birth rates in Hong Kong and Macau ranked among the lowest three in the world. Both Mainland China and Taiwan were ranked below the median. The (total) fertility rate of a population is the average number of child births per woman. ... Map of countries and territories by fertility rate This is a list of countries by total fertility rate (TFR): the expected number of children born per woman in her child-bear years, based on 2006 age-specific fertility rate data. ... In mathematics, an average or central tendency of a set (list) of data refers to a measure of the middle of the data set. ... This is a list of countries by birth rate, based on The World Factbook, as at September 2005. ... In probability theory and statistics, a median is a number dividing the higher half of a sample, a population, or a probability distribution from the lower half. ...

A product of rising divorce rates in Chinese societies is the breakdown of the traditionally close-knitted kinship relation. On the other hand, re-marriage could provide more than two sets of paternal or maternal relatives.

Defining kins

Nine grades of relations

The "nine grades of relations" (九族) is an important concept when it comes to application of laws and observing rituals. Since the Han Dynasty, there have been two separate interpretations of what is defined by the nine grades. Each interpretation is based on societal and political needs as the ruler of the day see fit. Han Dynasty commanderies and kingdoms, AD 2 Capital Changan (202 BC–9 AD) Luoyang (25 AD–190 AD) Language(s) Chinese Religion Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism Government Monarchy History  - Establishment 206 BC  - Battle of Gaixia; Han rule of China begins 202 BC  - Interruption of Han rule 9 AD - 24 AD...

The "older" interpretation ("古文說") defined the nine grades of relations strictly in the paternal line. That is, nine generations from great-great-grandfather down to great-great-grandchildren. This interpretation was officially recognised after Tang and Song dynasties. By Ming and Qing dynasties, laws have defined the patrilineality of the nine kindreds. This interpretation was cited in Part III Chapter 2 of Lewis Henry Morgan's 1877 book Ancient Societies. For the band, see Tang Dynasty (band). ... Northern Song in 1111 AD Capital Kaifeng (960–1127) Linan (1127–1279) Language(s) Middle Chinese Religion Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism Government Monarchy History  - Zhao Kuangyin taking over the throne of the Later Zhou Dynasty 960  - Battle of Yamen; the end of Song rule 1279 Population  - Peak est. ... For other uses, see Ming. ... The Qing Dynasty (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Ching chao; Manchu: daicing gurun; Mongolian: Манж Чин), occasionally known as the Manchu Dynasty, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1644 to 1912. ... Patrilineality (a. ... Lewis Henry Morgan (1818-1881) was an American lawyer and amateur scholar best known for his work on cultural evolution and Native Americans. ...

The "contemporary" interpretation ("今文說") defines the nine grades of relations to be four generations from the paternal line, three from the maternal line, and two from the wife's. Historically, this definition has been used during award, punishment and family annihilation.

Yet another interpretation suggests that "nine" is actually an arbitrary number as nine is considered a large number in Chinese culture. As such, it means anyone and everyone related is to be executed in the context of family annihilation.

Five degrees of mourning attire

The five degrees of mourning attire (五服) defines not only the proper attire, but also the proper mourning ritual one should observe when a relative has died. Appeared in as early as the Rites of Zhou, mourning rituals developed over the years. By Qing dynasty, it was set in law that there were five degrees, or grades of mourning according to the relationship one has with the deceased. The closer a person is related to the deceased, the higher degree of mourning is observed. A married female belongs to her husband's clan and observes similar but lower degree of mourning as her husband. She would observe mourning for a small portion of members from her own clan. A married man would observe mourning for even less number of relations of his in-laws. The Rites of Zhou (Chinese: ; pinyin: ) also known as Zhouguan (Offices of Zhou) is one of three ancient ritual texts listed among the classics of Confucianism. ...

In a concubinage situation, a concubine was only required to mourn for her husband, his wife, his parents, and all his children including her own, whereas a wife was required to mourn for almost all of her husband's near relatives. In addition, there was no requirement to mourn the death of a concubine except by the man's children.

Since the end of feudal China, the rituals of the five degrees of mourning have largely given way to simpler and less elaborate observance.

Conventionally, clans adopted the five degrees of mourning as an unwritten definition between close and distance relatives. As such, marriage between relations that were covered within the five degrees of mourning was considered taboo and immoral. This definition, unlike the mourning ritual, is still applicable in determining whether a marriage is acceptable, albeit less people are familiar with the mourning rituals themselves.

It must be noted however that by according to this rule, many relatives considered as "distant" in Western cultures are counted as close relatives in Chinese culture.

The five degrees of mourning attire in the decreasing order of severity are:

• 1. 斬榱 - 3 years
• 2. 齊榱 - 3 years, 1 year, 1 year with staff of mourning, 5 months, 3 months
• 3. 大功 - 9 months, 7 months
• 4. 小功 - 5 months
• 5. 緦麻 - 3 months

Common extended family and terminology

This section covers members and their spouses in the immediate and extended family that is commonly found in the first nine corner cells on the table of consanguinity or cousin chart (from ego to grandparents on the rows and columns). The terms are listed in Standard Chinese, regional and dialectal usages are listed in the corresponding row. The degrees of mourning attire are included as an indication of how close the relation is to ego and what level of respect is expected. "1" being the highest; "5" being the lowest. "0" means they are not within the definition of the five degrees of mourning. Some of these are common relations and are included for completeness. The degrees of mourning indicated in the table are based on ego as an unmarried member of the family. Consanguinity, literally meaning common blood, describes how close a person is related to another in the sense of a family. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Standard Mandarin refers to the official Chinese spoken language used by the Peoples Republic of China, the Republic of China on Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore. ...

General prefixes

• 外 - prefix to indicate maternal lineage on some of the relations
• 堂 - cousins that shares the same surname as ego
• 表 - cousins that do not share the same surname as ego
• 高 - prefix for relations four generations removed senior of ego, ie: great-great-grandparents (高祖父母)
• 曾 - prefix for relations three generations removed, ie: great-grandparents; great-grandchildren (曾祖父母; 曾孫)
• 祖 - prefix for relations two generations removed senior of ego, ie: grandparents (祖父母), also a general prefix for relations two or more generations senior of ego.
• 孫 - prefix for relations two generations removed junior of ego, ie: grandchildren (孫), also a general prefix for relations two or more generations junior of ego.
• 玄/元 - prefix for relations four generations removed junior of ego, ie: great-great-grandchildren (玄孫/元孫)

Members of the nuclear family

The term nuclear family developed in the western world to distinguish the family group consisting of parents (usually a father and mother) and their children, from what is known as an extended family. ... Michelangelos David is widely considered to be one of the finest artistic portrayals of a man. ... A parent is a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian // Mother This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Father with child For other uses, see Father (disambiguation). ... Diverse women. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Look up Brother in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Brother may have the following meanings, in addition to and derived from its main one of male sibling; see Family. a male friend or acquaintance, in some cultures shortened to Bro or Brah a peer, male or female (though such usage is... Sister may refer to: a female sibling a member of a sorority a female member of a religious institution or congregation, often referred to as a nun in common language a female member of a mutual organisation such as a trade union one of a pair or larger group of... Look up wife in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Husband may refer to: the male spouse in a marriage a husband pillow. ... “Children” redirects here. ... A son is a male offspring; a boy, man, or male animal in relation to either or both of his parents. ... An expecting couple with their daughter A daughter is a female offspring; a girl, woman, or female animal in relation to her parents. ...

Paternal lineage

This article is about the domestic group. ... This page is a candidate to be copied to Wiktionary. ... Uncle may refer to: A family relationship, see Cousin chart A cry of surrender An idiom: Dutch uncle, a person who delivers stern lectures Uncle Sam, a national personification of the United States Uncle Tom, a pejorative term for a black person Uncle Tom Cobley, a British folk saying meaning... Look up wife in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Ones aunt (or aunty) is either a female sibling of one of ones parents or the wife of an uncle who is the male sibling of a parent. ... Ones aunt (or aunty) is either a female sibling of one of ones parents or the wife of an uncle who is the male sibling of a parent. ... Husband may refer to: the male spouse in a marriage a husband pillow. ...

Maternal lineage

Nephews and nieces

This article is about the domestic group. ... This article is about the domestic group. ...

Grandchildren

This article is about the domestic group. ... A family of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in 1997 A family is a domestic group of people, or a number of domestic groups, typically affiliated by birth or marriage, or by comparable legal relationships including domestic partnership, adoption, surname and in some cases ownership (as was the case in the Roman...

In-laws

To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article or section is incomplete and may require expansion and/or cleanup. ... Look up brother-in-law in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In law and in cultural anthropology, affinity, as distinguished from consanguinity, is kinship by marriage. ... In law and in cultural anthropology, affinity, as distinguished from consanguinity, is kinship by marriage. ... Father-in-law A father-in-law is a spouses father. ... A persons mother-in-law is the mother of his wife or her husband. ...

Larger extended family and terminology

This section covers members and their spouses found beyond the first nine corner cells on the table of consanguinity or cousin chart. Although some of the relations seem distant, they are considered close relatives and it is common for Chinese families to have regular contact with these members.

For other uses, see Cousin (disambiguation). ... Cousin chart is the common name for a Table of Consanguinity. ... A great-grandparent is the parent of an individuals grandparent. ... In genealogy, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares common grandparents or more distant ancestors. ... For other uses, see Cousin (disambiguation). ...

First cousins

Second cousins

Third cousins

Distant relations

Other than some of the relations mentioned in the previous sections that are not covered under the five degrees of mourning attire, the following are kin that are also considered distant.

• (外)來孫 - great-great-great-grandchildren
• (外)昆孫 - great-great-great-great-grandchildren
• (外)雲孫 - great-great-great-great-great-grandchildren

外 - prefix for maternal line relations; essentially anyone not sharing the same surname as ego

Partial or no consanguinity

The following familial relationship suggests partial or no consanguinity. Most of them are not a modern phenomenon, however. In fact, polygamy (specifically polygyny) was widely accepted in pre-republican China. The term polygamy (many marriages in late Greek) is used in related ways in social anthropology and sociobiology and sociology. ... The term polygyny (neo-Greek: poly+gune Many + Wives) is used in related ways in social anthropology and sociobiology. ... The Republic of China is commonly known as Taiwan or Chinese Taipei, and it is not to be confused with the Peoples Republic of China. ...

The saying of "three fathers and eight mothers" (三父八母) refers to:

• 同居的繼父 -
• 不同居的繼父 -
• 從父母嫁之繼父 -
• 嫡母 - father's official wife (when birth mother of ego is a concubine)
• 繼母 - stepmother
• 養母 - adopted mother
• 慈母 - concubine replacing ego's birth mother who died
• 嫁母 - widowed birth mother who has remarried
• 出母 - birth mother who has been divorced
• 庶母 - father's concubine who is also a mother (when birth mother of ego is the official wife)
• 乳母 - wet nurse

Another saying of "five fathers and ten mothers" (五父十母) refers to It has been suggested that Pilegesh be merged into this article or section. ... Traditionally, a stepfamily is the family one acquires when a parent enters a new marriage, whether the parent was widowed or divorced. ... Adoption is the legal act of permanently placing a child with a parent (or parents) other than the birth parents. ... A wet nurse is a woman who nurses a baby not her own. ...

• 生父 - birth father
• 養父 - adopted father
• 繼父 - stepfather
• 義父 - godfather
• 師父 - (male) teacher/coach/master

and two mothers added to the eight mentioned above: A godparent, in some denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a childs baptism. ...

• 生母 - birth mother
• 諸母 - father's concubine

As a result of polygamy there would be half-siblings:

• 同父異母兄弟姐妹 - siblings sharing the same father
• 同母異父兄弟姐妹 - siblings sharing the same mother

Further reading

• Morgan, Lewis Henry. 1877. Ancient Society. MacMillan & Company, London (complete text online)
• (Chinese) Code of (Mourning) Attire tables

==Notes and references== I like chicken Lewis Henry Morgan (1818-1881) was an American lawyer and amateur scholar best known for his work on cultural evolution and Native Americans. ...

See also

• Family
• Consanguinity
• Patrilineality
• Chinese marriage
• Chinese surname
• Chinese compound surname
• Chinese given name