Gavin Howe
The English language has three sets of terms that are notoriously difficult to understand: cousin, in-law, and “half” or “step” relations. In-laws are people you are related to by marriage, and any relationship term ending with -in-law indicates that the relationship is by marriage and not by blood. So, your brother-in-law is your sibling's spouse, and their siblings are not related to you. However, if you want to refer to your brother-in-law's sister as a relative, you can call her your co-sister-in-law.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Relationship | Brother-in-law's cousin |
| Relation to you | Not a blood relative |
| Relation to your brother-in-law | Cousin |
| Relation to your spouse | N/A |
| Relation to your sibling | N/A |
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What You'll Learn
Brother-in-law's cousin: co-sibling or co-cousin
The English language has three sets of terms that cause the most difficulty: cousin, in-law, and "half" or "step" relations. Each of these terms can be used for several different relationships. The term "in-law" indicates that the relationship is by marriage and not by blood. In other words, one is a blood relative of the other's spouse.
A brother-in-law is the brother of one's spouse or the spouse of one's sibling. The reciprocal relationship is also valid, wherein a person's spouse and their sibling's spouse are also brothers-in-law. In Indian English, this can be referred to as a co-sibling.
A brother-in-law's cousin is not a blood relative. They are related to you by marriage, and only your sibling is related to them by blood. The brother-in-law's cousin is, therefore, your co-cousin.
In English, there is no precise term for such distant familial relationships. One might have to be annoyingly precise by spelling out the relationship each step of the way. For example, to describe your relation to a brother-in-law's cousin, and using only bloodline terms, you would have to wait for them to have a child related to you through your sibling and your brother-in-law. You could then say "my first cousin once removed's mother/father". However, this term is ambiguous as "once removed" can mean either up or down a generation.
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Relation by marriage, not blood
The English language does not have precise terms for distant familial relationships. This means that the relation between you and your brother-in-law's cousin is not a straightforward question to answer.
Firstly, it is important to understand what constitutes a "brother-in-law". A brother-in-law is the spouse of one's sibling or the sibling of one's spouse. This means that your brother-in-law's cousin is the cousin of either your sibling's spouse or your spouse's sibling.
Now, the relationship between you and this cousin can be understood as a type of kinship called affinity, which is a relation by marriage and not by blood. In other words, this cousin is a blood relative of your spouse's sibling or your sibling's spouse.
Some people may refer to this cousin as a co-cousin or a cousin-in-law, indicating that the relationship is through marriage and not blood. However, these terms are uncommon and not widely recognized.
It is worth noting that, in certain cultures, there may be different perceptions or restrictions on how these relationships are viewed and whether they are considered acceptable. For example, in India, there may be cultural prohibitions on siblings from one family marrying siblings from another family, which could impact how these relationships are perceived.
In conclusion, while there is no direct blood relation between you and your brother-in-law's cousin, there is a connection through marriage. The exact nature of this connection can be described by specifying the relationship at each step, or by using terms like "co-cousin" or "cousin-in-law", although these terms are not universally accepted or understood.
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No relation to your family
The English language has three sets of terms that cause the most difficulty: cousin, in-law, and "half" or "step" relations. Each of these terms can be used for several different relationships, which can make it confusing when trying to establish how one is related to a distant relative.
In-law relationships are those that are by marriage and not by blood. In other words, one is a blood relative of the other's spouse. For example, your daughter-in-law is not related to you by blood, but she is your son's spouse, and therefore your in-law.
A sibling-in-law is the spouse of one's sibling or the sibling of one's spouse. So, your brother-in-law is your spouse's brother, and your sister-in-law is your spouse's sister. The reciprocal relationship is also true: your spouse is the sibling-in-law of your sibling's spouse.
A co-sibling-in-law is a less common term for the spouse of one's sibling's spouse. So, the wife of your brother-in-law would be your co-sister-in-law, and her husband would be your co-brother-in-law.
Applying these definitions to the scenario at hand, your brother-in-law's cousin is not related to your family. They are related to your brother-in-law, who is related to your spouse, and therefore indirectly to you by marriage. However, the cousin is not a blood relative, and so they are not a part of your family.
To put it another way, your brother-in-law's cousin is your spouse's sibling's spouse's cousin. This is a very distant relationship, and one could argue that there is no relation to your family.
In conclusion, while there are many ways to describe how people are related, your brother-in-law's cousin is not a part of your family. They are related to your spouse's sibling, but this does not make them a blood relative of yours, and so there is no direct relation to your family.
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Relation by blood if cousin marries your sibling
In English, three sets of terms tend to cause the most difficulty: cousin, in-law, and "half" or "step" relations. Each of these terms can be used correctly for several different relationships.
A cousin is defined as any relative by marriage or blood, especially one who is more distant than a sibling but shares an ancestor with you. First cousins share a common grandparent, second cousins share a common great-grandparent, and so on.
The term "in-law" indicates that a relationship is by marriage and not by blood. So, if your cousin marries your sibling, they are your in-law. However, the relationship between your cousin's spouse and your sibling's spouse is a bit more complicated. In Indian English, the spouse of your cousin is referred to as a co-sibling, specifically a co-sister or co-brother. In standard English, there is no precise term for this relationship, and you would likely refer to the person as your "cousin" or your "sibling's spouse".
It's worth noting that the degree of consanguinity or blood relation between individuals can vary. For example, first cousins share 12.5% of their autosomal DNA, while second cousins share 3.125%. Marrying a close relative, such as a cousin, is prohibited in some jurisdictions due to concerns about inbreeding and the increased risk of birth defects in offspring. However, cousin marriages are allowed and even encouraged in some cultures and communities.
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No universal term in English
There is no universal term in English to describe the relationship between yourself and your brother-in-law's cousin. The relationship between two people where one is the cousin of the other's sibling-in-law is one that is difficult to describe in English. This is because the English language does not have precise terms for distant familial relationships, unlike some other languages.
In English, the terms "cousin", "in-law", and "half" or "step" relations are often used for several different relationships, which can make things confusing. For example, the term "in-law" indicates a relationship by marriage, not by blood. So, your "in-laws" can refer to the blood relatives of your spouse, or just your spouse's parents, or any group of your spouse's relatives.
In the case of your brother-in-law's cousin, the relationship is one step further removed, and there is no clear term to describe it. Some people might simply refer to this person as their "cousin", just like they might refer to their "aunt" when talking about their "uncle's wife". This can be ambiguous, as the term "cousin" is typically used for people who are related to you by having shared grandparents with you, or being the child of your parent's sibling.
Some people have proposed terms such as "cousin-in-law" or "co-cousin" to describe this relationship, but these terms are not commonly used. Ultimately, you might have to spell out the relationship step by step, or use a vague term like "cousin" to describe it.
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Frequently asked questions
You are not related to your brother-in-law's cousin.
Your brother-in-law's sister is not a blood relative, but she could be considered a distant relative. She is your sister-in-law.
Your brother-in-law's brother is not related to you.
Your brother-in-law's spouse is your spouse's sibling. They are your co-sibling-in-law.
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