cross-cousin: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
RareTechnical (Anthropological/Sociological)
Quick answer
What does “cross-cousin” mean?
In kinship terminology, the child of one's mother's brother or father's sister.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
In kinship terminology, the child of one's mother's brother or father's sister.
In many cultures, a specific kin relationship distinguished from a parallel cousin (child of mother's sister or father's brother); often subject to specific marriage rules or social roles in anthropological contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or grammatical differences; usage is identical in both academic anthropology.
Connotations
Purely technical/scientific; carries no emotional or colloquial connotation.
Frequency
Extremely rare outside academic texts in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “cross-cousin” in a Sentence
[culture] practices cross-cousin marriageIn [system], a cross-cousin is...distinguish between cross-cousin and parallel cousinVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cross-cousin” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The cross-cousin relationship was key to their alliance system.
American English
- Cross-cousin marriage patterns vary globally.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in anthropology, sociology, and kinship studies to describe specific familial relationships and marriage rules.
Everyday
Virtually never used; 'cousin' suffices.
Technical
Core term in kinship diagrams and analysis of marriage systems (e.g., Iroquois, Dravidian, Crow-Omaha).
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cross-cousin”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cross-cousin”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cross-cousin”
- Using 'cross-cousin' in everyday conversation.
- Confusing it with 'second cousin'.
- Assuming all cultures recognise this distinction.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in genealogical distance (they share a set of grandparents), but 'cross-cousin' is a more specific anthropological category within first cousins.
No. It is exclusively a technical term used in anthropology and related fields. In everyday contexts, all such relatives are simply called 'cousins'.
A parallel cousin—the child of one's mother's sister or father's brother.
In many cultures, the rules for marriage, inheritance, and social behaviour differ drastically between cross and parallel cousins, making the distinction socially and legally crucial.
In kinship terminology, the child of one's mother's brother or father's sister.
Cross-cousin is usually technical (anthropological/sociological) in register.
Cross-cousin: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkrɒs ˈkʌzn/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkrɔːs ˈkʌzn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the family lines CROSSing: your mother's brother (different sex parent) or your father's sister (different sex parent). The parental genders are crossed.
Conceptual Metaphor
KINSHIP IS A MAP (with specific routes and intersections).
Practice
Quiz
Who is a male ego's cross-cousin?