[ad. L. cognātiōn-em kindred by birth, f. cognāt-us, COGNATE.]
1. The relation between persons descended from a common ancestor; kinship, relationship, consanguinity. (Common in 17th c.; now rare.)
1382. Wyclif, Gen. x. 31. Thes the sones of Sem, after cognaciouns [Vulg. secundum cognationes] and tungis and regiouns.
1582. N. T. (Rhem.), Luke viii. 21, marg. note. Our spiritual kindred is to be preferred before carnal cognation.
1633. Bp. Hall, Hard Texts, 365. Termes of Cognation and consanguinity.
1669. Gale, Crt. Gentiles, I. I. iii. 18. Of the original of the Phenicians; their cognation with the Jews.
1862. M. Hopkins, Hawaii, 69. A great danger exists in claiming cognation between two distant peoples from the coincidence of a few words in both languages.
b. spec. in Roman Law: Natural relationship by descent from a common ancestor, whether through males or females; as distinguished from agnation, which was a civil relationship through males only. In Sc. law, Relationship through females only.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., In France, for the succession to the crown they follow agnation; in England, Spain, &c. cognation.
1806. Gregory, Dict. Arts & Sci., I. 382. Cognation, women coming to the succession according to the degree of proximity, in default of males, or their descendants.
1880. Muirhead, trans. Instit. Gaius, I. § 156. There is no agnation between a mother’s brother and her son,—only cognation.
† c. Used of ‘spiritual’ relationship, as that between sponsors, etc.; = AFFINITY 1 b. Obs.
c. 1555. Harpsfield, Divorce Hen. VIII. (1878), 266. Knit to us neither by consanguinity nor affinity, but by spiritual cognation.
a. 1626. W. Sclater, Romans, iv. (1650), 140. By spiritual cognation, wherein faith combines us.
1649. Bp. Hall, Cases Consc., IV. v. 444. The impediment of spirituall cognation, is stretched so far … as that (what by Baptisme, what by Confirmation) twenty severall persons are excluded from the capacity of inter-marriage.
† 2. collect. Kindred, kinsfolk, relations. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, Acts vii. 3. Go out of thi lond, and of thi cognacioun [Vulg. de cognatione tua], or kynrede.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 80/2. Alle hys cognacion … abode in good lyf and in holy conuersacion.
1542. Boorde, Dyetary, i. 233.
3. Philol. The relation between languages naturally descended from a common source, or words from a common root.
[1676. W. Hubbard, Happiness of People, 5. It cometh from and hath a near cognation with a word that signifies to build.
1741. Watts, Improv. Mind, xx. Wks. (1813), 163. What certain sense they could put on either of these 4 words by their mere cognation with each other.]
1862. Guardian, 23 April, 401/3. The great difficulty in all teaching of Comparative Philology is to make people understand the difference between cognation and derivation.
1865. Sat. Rev., 11 Feb., 180/2. Sir William Jones recognises the fact that the relation among all of them is cognation and not derivation.
4. The relation between things derived from the same source or having the same origin, or between those having a like nature or quality (= AFFINITY 5); more loosely, that between things connected with, or naturally adapted to, each other (cf. AFFINITY 8); affinity, connection, relation, likeness. (Very frequent in 17th c.; now rare or Obs.)
a. 1555. Bradford, Wks., 354. The society, cognation, and consent, which all and every creature hath with man.
1640. Bp. Reynolds, Passions, xxxvii. 461. The Eye is fitted to discerne light by the Innate property of light and Cognation which it hath thereunto.
1658. W. Burton, Itin. Anton., 223. [They] had a very great cognation with the Galli, not only in language, but in holy Rites and Customes also.
1790. Paley, Horæ Paul., vi. (1809), 187. This circumstance of identity or cognation in their original.
1845. Blackw. Mag., LVII. 396. How close the cognation of the creature and the critical faculty.
