中國人的輩份 vs. 外國人的輩份

話說幾個月前﹐我聽人提起 "second cousin"  這個稱呼﹐就很好奇什么是"second cousin" 。。。

閒時問了好幾個人。大家的答案都不同。有的說﹐"second cousin" 指我爸爸的表兄弟﹐因為他們是我爸爸的cousin﹐所以對我來說﹐他們就是第二重關係﹐所以就是second了。聽起來好像有點牽強﹐可是又好像有點道理﹐而且好幾個人都堅持這種看法。有的呢﹐就說"second cousin" 指我爸爸的表兄弟的子女。因為他們不是我的直系cousin﹐是隔了一層關係的﹐所以是second了。我比較偏向相信這種講法﹐可是又不知道對不對。

昨日﹐終於提起心肝上網去查﹐原來﹐爸爸的表兄弟的子女是我的second cousin。爸爸的表兄弟﹐即是我的表叔﹐在英文原來是叫 "first cousin, once removed"。好奇怪的稱謂啊。

Rule of thumb, cousins are people at the same generation.  The use of “second”, “third”, “fourth” refers to the common ancestors you have:

1)      Cousin (a.k.a. “first cousin”) – people in your family who have the same grandparents as you, but not the same parents

2)      Second cousin - people in your family who have the same great-grandparents as you, but not the same grandparents

3)      Third cousin - people in your family who have the same great-great-grandparents as you, but not the same great-grandparents

4)      And so on...

When “Removed” is used, it indicates the two people are from different generations.  它的解釋好複雜﹐不過簡單來說:

1)      the parents of your “x cousin” are called your “x-1 cousin, once removed”.  例如﹐your second cousin的父母是你的 “first cousin, once removed”.

2)      The kids of your “x cousin” are called your “x cousin, once removed”.  例如﹐your second cousin的子女是你的 “second cousin, once removed”.

網上wikipedia還說﹐現代很多人都將 second cousin 和 first cousin, once removed 混淆了。所以我才從不同人口中聽到了不同的答案。

搞清楚之後﹐我打電話給我在加州的表叔﹐同他講﹐“Uncle Joseph﹐我終於知道我吾應該叫你做uncle喇!! 你吾系我uncle﹐你系我的first cousin once removed啊!”  他聽到呆佐﹐話﹐“下﹖咩咩咩話﹖”  我同他解釋一輪之後﹐他恍然大悟﹐不過他話﹐“虹虹﹐你都系叫番我做uncle就得啦﹐我地系中國人﹐吾使跟鬼佬甘複雜的野。”  哈哈!

想起來﹐平時我們經常說中國人的輩份很複雜﹐又堂又表﹐又姨又嬸﹐又舅父又阿叔﹐鬼佬就簡單多了﹐一個uncle同aunt就搞掂晒。現在睇來﹐其實也不盡然。鬼佬都有複雜的輩份稱呼﹐只是平時少接觸﹐不知道罷了。