COGNĀTI

COGNĀTĬO. The cognatio was the relationship of blood which existed between those who were sprung from a common pair; and all persons so related were called cognati . The foundation of cognatio is a legal marriage. The term cognatus (with some exceptions) comprehends agnatus ; an agnatus may be a cognatus , but a cognatus is only an agnatus when his relationship by blood is traced through males. Those who were of the same blood by both parents were sometimes called german i ; consanguine i were those who had a common father only; and uterini those who had a common mother only.