cousin
UK[ˈkʌzn]US[ˈkʌzn]
n
A child of your uncle or aunt.
n
A person in a wider group who is related to you but not closely.
Etymology
The word 'cousin' entered English from the Old French 'cosin', which itself derived from the Latin 'consobrinus'. This Latin term originally meant 'mother's sister's child', specifically denoting a cousin on the maternal side, from 'con-' (together) and 'sobrinus' (maternal cousin). Over time in French and English, the meaning broadened to encompass any child of an uncle or aunt, losing its specific maternal association. The term illustrates a common pattern where a precise Latin familial term was generalized as it passed through French into the English lexicon.
Analysis
The word 'cousin' is a simplex loanword from French. It does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes within its modern English spelling.
Examples
My cousin and I grew up together and are very close.
She discovered a distant cousin while researching her family tree.
He's not my brother; he's my first cousin.