> OK, now I'm really confused. Is there a website that explains this cousin stuff in an easy-to-read format? :)
>
> -- codeman"�� I'm my own grandpa ��"38

I don't know of any websites, unfortunately, so I'll attempt to create a clear description right here.

First of all, two people in the same generation are labelled as siblings, then first cousins, then second cousins, then third cousins, et cetera. For each generation you have to go back to find a common ancestor, your "cousin rating" increases by one. Siblings have the same parents; first cousins have the same grandparents but not parents; second cousins have the same great-grandparents, but not the same grandparents or parents, and so forth.

The concept of "removed" is a bit harder to explain. Every "removed" indicates a generational difference between you and the relative. However, deciding what relationship you are in terms of the "first cousin" is a little trickier to explain. The best way I can think of is to take the individual at the higher generation and figure out their relationship to your ancestor in the same generation as they are. If you want to know how your grandfather's second cousin is related to you, for example, then you know that the individual and your grandfather are in the same generation, and so you start with second cousins. You then count how many generations removed you are from the ancestor in the same generation as the the individual you are trying to track--in the example above, you are two generations removed from your grandfather, so your grandfather's second cousin is your second cousin twice removed.

The only other special case that I am aware of is when the your ancestor and the person in his generation that you are trying to track are siblings, rather than cousins. Generally, you do not use the "removed" thing in this case; rather, they are described as an aunt or uncle with a number of "greats". The sister of your parent is your aunt; the sister of your grandparent is your great-aunt; the sister of your great-grandparent is your great-great-aunt. The thing that usually throws me with this is that the number of "greats" is always different in the same generation, like the great-grandparent/great-great-aunt example I just gave. You get used to it, though.

Don "I should either find a web page on this or make one. Either way, I should find some way of confirming that I'm right about this stuff. :-)" Monkey