22 SYSTEMS OF CONSANGUINITY AND AFFINITY 



The fourth and fifth collateral lines, male, on the father's side, commence, 

 respectively, with great-grandfather's brother, who is styled patruus major, greater 

 paternal uncle, and with great-great-grandfather's brother, who is called patruus 

 maximus, greatest paternal uncle. In extending the series we have in the fourth 

 line, patrui majoris films, patrui majoris nepos, and on to patrui majoris trinepos ; 

 and in the fifth, patrui maximi filius, patrui maximi nepos, and thus onward to 

 patrui maximi trinepos. On the same side the corresponding female collateral 

 lines commence, respectively, with amita major, greater paternal aunt, and amita 

 maxima, greatest paternal aunt ; and the description of persons in each follows in 

 the same order. 



Both the diagram and the description of consanguinci have thus far been limited 

 to the lineal line male, and to the several collateral lines on the father's side. 

 Another diagram with an entire change of terms, except in the first collateral line, 

 is required to exhibit the right lineal line, female, and the four collateral lines, 

 male and female, beyond the first. The necessity for independent terms for uncle 

 and aunt on the mother's side to complete the Roman method is now apparent, 

 the relatives on the mother's side being equally numerous, and entirely distinct. 

 These terms were found in avunculus, maternal uncle, and matertera, maternal 

 aunt. The first collateral line, as before stated, remains the same, as it commences 

 with brother and sister. In the second collateral line, male, on the mother's side 

 we have for the series avunculus, avunculi filius, avunculi nepos, and on to avunculi 

 trinepotis trinepos, if it were desirable to extend the description to the twelfth 

 descendant of the maternal uncle. In the female branch of the same line we have 

 for the series matertera, matertera} /ilia, matertera) neptis, and on to matertera} 

 trineptis. In the third collateral line, male, same side, we have for the series 

 avunculus magnus, avunculi magni filius, avunculi magni nepos, and on as before ; 

 and the female branch of the same line, commencing with matertera magna, 

 maternal great-aunt, is extended in the same manner. The fourth and fifth 

 collateral lines, male, on the same side commence, respectively, with avunculus 

 major, and avunculus maximus ; and the corresponding female branches with 

 matertera major, and matertera maxima, and their descendants, respectively, are 

 described in the same manner. 



Since the first five collateral lines embraced as wide a circle of kindred as it was 

 necessary to include for the practical purposes of a code of descents, the ordinary 

 diagram used by the Roman civilians did not extend beyond this number. In the 

 form of description adopted by Coke and the early English lawyers, and which was 

 sanctioned by the same use of the terms in the Pandects, we find propatruus mag- 

 nus instead of patruus major, and abpatruus magnus instead of patruus maximus. 

 By adopting this mode of augmentation, which is also applied to avus in the lineal 

 line, we have for the commencement of the sixth and seventh collateral lines, male, 

 on the father's side, atpatruus magnus and tripatruus magnus, with corresponding 

 changes of gender for the female branches. This would exhaust the power of the 

 nomenclature of the Roman system. For collateral lines beyond the seventh it 

 was necessary to resort again to the descriptive form Avhich followed the chain of 

 consanguinity from degree to degree. 



