0

I feel like there must be a word for this.

Like the relationship between me and my grandpa. We are related. But I would like to be more specific. We are related in such a way that he is my ancestor.

I would like to say 'John and Paul are x', where x would mean that one is the ancestor of the other — a word like related, but more specific.

Improve this question
4
  • 2
    Either your question isn't clear or you already answered it yourself. :) Your grandpa is your grandpa or grandfather. He's also your ancestor. What else are you looking for?
    – R Mac
    Nov 10, 2014 at 16:21
  • 5
    You're descended from him; you're his descendant
    – Armen Ծիրունյան
    Nov 10, 2014 at 16:25
  • @R Mac I would like to say 'John and Paul are x' where x would mean than one is the ancestor of the other. A word like related, but more specific.
    – Skuli
    Nov 10, 2014 at 16:26
  • @Skuli John and Paul are father and son? John and Paul are grandfather and grandson? John and Paul are uncle and nephew?
    – WS2
    Nov 10, 2014 at 16:34

5 Answers 5

Reset to default
7

You might be looking for directly related or lineally descended or some variation thereof (lineage, for example).

direct adj. definition 2b:
being or passing in a straight line of descent from parent to offspring : lineal
<direct ancestor>

lineal adj.
having a direct family relationship : related by a direct series of parents and children

All links/quotes are from Merriam-Webster.

So, for you example of "John and Paul are x", x could be "directly related" or "lineally related" or "of the same lineage". I think directly related would be the most easily understood, though to be 100% clear, I'd actually phrase it like "John is a direct descendant of Paul" (or "Paul is a direct ancestor of John"). Lineally does actually have precisely the definition you want, but it's not a commonly-used word, and while most people could figure out its meaning based on "line", to a math person like me, it always at first looks like a misspelling of linearly. :)

Improve this answer
0
3

You may wish to say that you and your grandfather are lineally related, that is, “By direct descent”. From en.wiktionary, lineal means “(family) Of a family relationship that includes mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, daughters, and sons, etc. as opposed to collateral”.

Improve this answer
1
  • 1
    Great minds think alike...
    – Marthaª
    Nov 10, 2014 at 16:45
0

I think what you are looking for is a hypernym for ancestor and descendant.

One possibility is "consanguine" meaning related by blood, having a common ancestor.

John and Paul are consanguine.

This word the is perhaps broader than you are looking for since it includes non lineal descendants like cousins. But it is an option worth considering depending on your exact needs.

Improve this answer
1
  • I think your first sentence is right - that is what is requested. But consanguine is, as you indicate in your explanation of it, more general. Franklin D. Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt have a consanguine relation, but neither is an ancestor of the other.
    – Drew
    Nov 11, 2014 at 6:03
-1

You could say there is a family relationship or blood relationship. E.g. "He is my blood relative; she is not."

You could use kinship or consanguinity, but in many contexts I think it would sound rather archaic.

Improve this answer
1
  • All of these terms also apply to siblings, but as I interpret it, the question wants to exclude siblings.
    – 200_success
    Nov 10, 2014 at 18:03
-1

John and Paul are father and son.

John and Paul are grandfather and grandson.

John and Paul are uncle and nephew.

Matilda and Lucy are mother and daughter.

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.