Cousin Vs Niece, Main Differences And Uses Of These Words

Words can be confusing, we know, but we should understand how to address our siblings. Who is a cousin? And who is a niece? It shouldn’t be complicated at all.

Cousin means the child of an ancestor sibling, a direct relative like an uncle and aunt. A niece is the daughter of a person’s brother or sister. Cousin can be either male or female, while niece only refers to a female, a direct sibling daughter.

Cousin typically refers to a “first cousin,” a person who shares their grandparents with another person. Cousins are relatives that mostly share the same generation, depending on the age difference of the parents. A cousin is also a person whose relationship with another is not based on a direct ancestor but more of an extended family beyond uncles and aunts.

In the language of kinships, the niece is the daughter of a person’s direct sibling. The relationship of uncles and aunts with nieces is of second-degree relatives. Usually, people also use the term for daughters of siblings in law, even if there is no blood relation.

As a result, you should use the word cousin to refer to your uncle or aunt’s son or daughter and niece to refer to the daughter of your brother or sister. Likewise, a niece can be referred to as “fraternal niece” if it is your brother’s daughter and “sororal niece” if it is your sister’s.

What Are The Origins Of These Words?

The word cousin can be traced back to the mid 12th century when it was known as “a collateral blood relative more remote than a brother or sister.” The word evolved from Old French “cosin,” which means nephew or kinsman, and Latin “consonibrus.”

The modern definition of “cousin” started in the 13th century. In the language Middle English, it was also attested to grandchildren and godchildren. In the late 14th century, cousin also started meaning “a closely related thing.”

Many languages, such as Irish, Slavic, and some Germanic dialects, have a word for any type of cousin variation. Latin, for example, besides “consobrinus,” had “consobrina,” which means “mother’s sister’s daughter;” patruelis, meaning “father’s brother’s son;” atruelis, meaning “mother’s brother’s son,” etc.

In the south of the United States, the term “kissing cousin” has existed since the 1940s and refers to people trustworthy enough to be saluted by a kiss. The word niece, and nephew, is derived from Latin nepotem. So niece is coming directly from the french word nece. Another term for niece and nephew is the word Niblin.

Niblin is an isolated term suggested by American linguist Samuel Martin in 1951. Still, outside of some literature, the word is rarely used. Nowadays, the term is being studied as an alternative for a gender-neutral way of saying niece and nephew.

Is There A Word For Female Cousins?

Yes, cousiness. You can find the definition in a dictionary. It reads, “female cousin, kinswoman.”

The term cousiness is rarely used nowadays in America. It was recorded in the 14th century, but it is now obsolete. The earliest written example of the word occurred in 1350 in the book “The Romance of William of Palerne” by Walter William. The quote from the text reads: “Therefore, courteous cousiness, for love of Christ in heaven. Make known now thy kindness.”

The word appeared again in fiction in 1382 and 1889, an example of the rarity of the word since its inception. There’s a peculiar use of the word in the 1889 story “The Story of a Return Ticket,” where the narrator is convinced he invented the word. The quote reads, “He had the bad taste not to care for his cousiness, if I may coin a word which is most wanted.”

The most recent example is from 1943 in the book by Scottish writer D.E. Stevenson “The two Mrs. Abbotts.” The fragment from the book reads, “Jerry is my cousiness, then – declared Fay: She’s my cousiness, and I love her.”

Modern English is gender-free mainly, and the word cousin refers to both female and male cousins. However, the word cousin is still gendered in other languages. Gender still plays a significant role in many languages, and it used to be more important in English. That’s why there’s still plenty of use for words like niece and nephew instead of niblin.

Can An Uncle Or Aunt Gain Custody Of Their Niece?

Usually, there are no legal rights for aunts and uncles to gain custody of their nieces. However, different legal procedures exist depending on which state you reside in to obtain a child’s custody.

Child custody is having the legal responsibility of taking care of a child. Child custody includes:

• Putting a roof over the child’s head.
• Education.
• Feeding them, and whatever the child needs to live a good life.

For an aunt or uncle to possibly gain control of their niece’s custody over her parents, there needs to be neglect, abuse, or an unsafe environment around their home. These are the only reasons for a court to open a case that could grant custody to an aunt or uncle.

What Are Second And Third Cousins?

A cousin is usually a direct relative to a person, but here is an easier way to comprehend an extended family bound by cousins.

• First cousins share a grandparent.
• Second cousins share a great-grandparent.
• Third cousins share a great-great-grandparent.
• Fourth cousins share a 3rd-great-grandparent.

Can you marry a third cousin?

Yes, in the United States, it is legal to marry your second or third cousins. However, there are laws in different states concerning first cousins and other relatives.

Twenty-five states prohibit marriage between first cousins, and only six states allow them under exceptional circumstances.

The prohibition exists because of the myth of having defective children caused by the close relationship between first cousins. However, with today’s technologies, it is revealed that the possibility of this happening is only slightly higher.

It is essential to know that congenital disabilities happen for many more reasons other than relative closeness. People say the prohibitions exist as a way to protect the integrity of the family and the purity of the genes.

What Are Famous Sayings About Cousins?

Over the years, cousins have shared many positive sayings about love and loyalty. Here are some of them:

• “A cousin is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost” – Isabel Norton.
• “God made us cousins because He knew our mothers couldn’t handle us as siblings.” – Author unknown.
• “Cousins are friends that will love you forever.” – Constance Richards.
• “Cousins are people that are ready-made friends” – Courtney Cox.
• “Cousins by blood, friends by choice” – Darlene Shaw

Synonyms For Cousin And Niece

Cousin and niece are two words referring to a person’s family. Another often-used term is “relative.”

Relative: a person connected with another by blood or affinity.

Examples:

• I was at my relative’s house yesterday for dinner.
• Next week my distant relative arrives from Europe.
• The holidays have arrived, it is time to meet unknown relatives.

There are older terms that were used instead of cousin or niece. These were kinsman and kinswoman, which means a male or female relative, respectively.

Examples:

• I was writing a fond letter to my favorite kinswoman.
• He lost many kinsmen to the village fire.

Conclusion

The difference between the words cousin and niece is that your cousin is the daughter or son of your uncle or aunt while your niece is the daughter of your sister or brother.

Keep this in mind because it is always important to know how to address your siblings properly.