ESL General English Grammar Questions

Re: "twice removed"

Raen — Fri, 09 May 2008 21:52:17 GMT

Thank you guys, I think I've got it now..phew. It takes patience to deal with me---not the brightest bulb. Thank you!

Raen

Re: "twice removed"

Grammar Geek — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:41:37 GMT

Raen, let me know if you're still confused after you look at that diagram.

Re: "twice removed"

New2grammar — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:21:02 GMT

Raen, did you check out the link provided by Ant? It contains a family tree and that will clear up your confusion.

Re: "twice removed"

Raen — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:17:05 GMT

GG, could you read my last message, I think I posted it the same time you did, I had a few questions there. But after reading your message, I think I might have misunderstood the phrase.

Is, for instance, "twice removed" used to ppl of the same generation (horizontal view)? I thought it was used it between generations (vertical view), wrong? I need clarification on this. Thanks.

Raen

Re: "twice removed"

New2grammar — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:15:00 GMT

GG, That solves my confusion! Thank you!

Re: "twice removed"

Huevos — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:10:19 GMT

Removed: distant by a given number of degrees of descent or kinship: A first cousin once removed is the child of one's first cousin. The grandchildren of one's first cousin are one's first cousins twice removed.

Re: "twice removed"

Grammar Geek — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:04:22 GMT

No, you can't tell if the person is two generations older than you or two generations younger.

Very few people are any good at this. If your "second cousin once removed" is getting married, you'd usually just say that you were going to a family wedding.And if the person you said that to said, "Oh, whose? Niece? Nephew?" you'd probably say "My cousin's kid. Second cousin, actually."

Re: "twice removed"

Raen — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:04:13 GMT

Ok, this sounds more complicated than I thought. I thought I had it right, but I'm not sure now.

The word "removed", does it mean "something" is removed? What is removed? A generation? Are we looking at a geneological (this a word?) tree when we use this phrase? If so, do I refer to my great-great-great-great grandmother as "She is my grandmother 4 times removed"?

Cluessly yours

Raen

Re: "twice removed"

New2grammar — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:44:40 GMT

HA! That's what you mean by 'add X generation(s) to one side of the ladder. X removed means the ABSOLUTE difference is X. Is there another term that can be added to the phrase to indicate who's up/down the ladder?

Re: "twice removed"

Huevos — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:41:31 GMT

No. You are his first cousin once removed and he is your first cousin once removed.

Re: "twice removed"

New2grammar — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:35:34 GMT

Thank you Ant_222. I have one more question. If a person is your first cousin once removed, what are you to him/her? first cousin once added?

Re: "twice removed"

Ant_222 — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:16:37 GMT

Â«First cousinÂ» means a cousin.
Â«LadderÂ» refers to the genealogy tree or a branch thereof, I suppose, and
Â«removedÂ» means Â«being farÂ».

EDIT: I wasn't right about "first cousin": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin

Re: "twice removed"

New2grammar — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:07:41 GMT

I'm sorry to interrupt but I'm interested to know what it means too. However, I don't even understand what a first cousin is or the ladder though I can sort of guess. :( I would appreciate if you could dumb it down for me

Re: "twice removed"

Raen — Fri, 09 May 2008 16:59:49 GMT

Thank you Huevos, I got it.

Raen

Re: "twice removed"

Huevos — Fri, 09 May 2008 16:56:44 GMT

It means plus 2 generations on one side of the ladder, so your granny's first cousin is your first cousin twice removed.