454: SYSTEMS OF C O N S A N G U I X I T Y AND AFFINITY. 



would read as follows in Hawaiian : " All men who arc born into the world have 

 five ranks of relatives. My own generation is one grade ; my father's is one ; and 

 my grandfather's is one ; thus above me are two grades. My son's generation is 

 one grade, and my grandson's is one ; thus below me are two grades of relations ; 

 including myself in the estimate, there are five grades. These are brethren, and 

 though each grade belongs to a different house or fomily, yet they are all my rela- 

 tions ; and these are called the five grades of relations." The difference consists 

 in this, that whilst the Chinese have departed from the literal classification of con- 

 sanguinei into nine grades, by the introduction into their system of what may be 

 called distinctive Turanian elements, the Hawaiians have held, pure and simple, to 

 the five primary grades of relatives. When compared with the highest type of the 

 Turanian system the Hawaiian is found to be classific without being Turanian ; 

 and the difierence between them is the precise element which constitutes the Tura- 

 nian system, as distinguished from other classificatory forms. In about half of the 

 Hawaiian relationships the classification is identical with the Turanian, but the 

 remaining parts of the two are wholly different. It will be seen in the sequel that 

 the Turanian might have been, and probably was, engrafted upon an original form 

 in all respects agreeing with the Hawaiian ; but that the latter could not have been 

 derived from the former, whence the inference that the Hawaiian is the oldest 

 form. 



An analysis of the system Avill develop in a few propositions the limited number 

 of ideas upon which it is founded. 



I. All the brothers and sisters of my grandfather and of my grandmother on the 

 father's side, and on the mother's side, are, without distinction, my grandparents ; 

 and the same is true of the several ancestors above grandparents, and their brothers 

 and sisters. They are distinguished from each other as second or third grand- 

 parents, but practically stand in the relationsliip of grandparents. 



II. All the children and descendants of my sons and daughters are my grand- 

 children, but distinguished from each other in the manner last above named. 



III. Brothers are distinguished into elder and younger, by the males, but not by 

 the females ; and sisters are distinguished into elder and younger by the females, 

 but not by the males. 



IV. All the children of my several brothers, and all the children of my several 

 sisters are my children, and all the children of the latter are my grandchildren. 

 A change in the sex of Ego makes no diftcrcnce in relationships under the Hawaiian 

 system. 



V. All the brothers of my father, and all the brothers of my mother are my 

 fathers, and all the sisters of my father, and all the sisters of my mother are my 

 mothers. 



VI. All the children of several brothers, of several sisters, and of several 

 brothers and sisters, are themselves brothers and sisters to each other, elder or 

 younger; and they apply to each other the same terms they would use to designate 

 own brothers and sisters. The children of these collateral brothers and sisters are 

 also brothers and sisters to each other, elder or younger ; and the same relationships 

 continue, theoretically, amongst their descendants, at equal removes, indefinitely. 



