416 SYSTEMS OF CONSANGUINITY AND AFFINITY 



The Chinese differs from other forms in possessing a double set of terms for an- 

 cestors, one for those on the father's side, and another for those on the mother's, 

 which was rendered necessary by the descent of the family name in the male line. 

 Also for the further reason that the term for grandfather on the father's side, 

 tsu-fu = ancestral father, contained the idea that he was the founder or beginner 

 of a family; wheace wae-7cung= "outside grandfather," is employed to distinguish 

 the grandfather on the mother's side. To discriminate the several ancestors for 

 four degrees above Ego, qualifying terms are added to indicate the relative near- 

 ness of each ; thus, on the father's side we have for the series, father, fu-tsin = 

 " my father relation" (wo-te= " my" being understood as prefixed in this and each 

 succeeding illustration) ; grandfather, tsu-fu = "my ancestral father;" great-grand- 

 father, tsung-tsu = " my additional ancestor ;" and grandfather's grandfather, kaon- 

 tsu " my far removed ancestor." On the mother's side we have for mother, 

 mo-tsin my mother relation ; grandmother, wae-po = my outside mother ; great- 

 grandmother, wae-tsu-po= "my outside ancestral old mother;" and grandmother's 

 grandmother, wae-tsung-tsu-mo = " my outside more remote ancestral mother." In 

 the descending series we have son, ir-tsze = " my child-boy ;" grandsc^, sun-tsze = 

 " my growing for the second time boy ;" great-grandson, tsung-sun = " my additional 

 growing for the second time boy ;" and grandson's grandson, yuen-san = " my great 

 growing for the second time." 



There is a double set of terms for elder and younger brother and for elder sister, 

 and a single term for younger sister, but no term either for brother or sister in the 

 abstract. It will be observed that one of the terms for elder brother, Jco-7co, one 

 for elder sister, tsea-tsea, and the term for younger sister, mei-mei, are each duplica- 

 tions of the same term. No explanation is given why they were thus formed ; 

 heung-te is the term for younger brother. The other terms are Jieung, my elder 

 brother, literally "senior;" a-te, my younger brother, literally "junior;" and tsze 

 my elder sister, literally " an experienced woman." All of these are used indis- 

 criminately by the males and females. The term heung-te is employed to designate 

 each of the collateral brothers, and tse-mei each of the collateral sisters, which are 

 equivalent respectively to elder-younger brother and elder-younger sister. They 

 also apply to collateral brothers and sisters the full terms for our brothers and 

 sisters. 



In the first collateral line male, Ego a male, I call my brother's son chih-ir, my 

 child of the chih class, or branch, or grade ; my brother's daughter, chih-neu, my 

 girl of the chih class ; my brother's grandson, chih-sun, my grandson of the chih 

 class ; and my brother's granddaughter, chih-sun-neu, my granddaughter of the chih 

 class. 



It is difficult to find a proper definition for the term chih, which is here employed 

 to distinguish the descendants of the brothers of Ego, and elsewhere of his colla- 

 teral brothers. The word " class" is adopted by Mr. Hart, and although not per- 

 fectly expressive of the idea, is preferable to "branch" or "grade." This, and 

 similar terms, will be best understood by the manner of their use. In the previous 

 relationships ir and neu express kin. Ir-tsze = child-boy, is the term for son, and 

 Jr = girl-child, that for daughter ; Jr, therefore, is a strict term of relationship, 



