Family trees: what is a cousin and a second cousin?
Self-tutoring about terminology in family trees: the tutor begins with cousins.
The following is according to my understanding.
When I was a kid, one often heard about cousins, especially in the Annapolis Valley. It made sense: it was a farming culture. Families were often large, and stayed put. Therefore, people had cousins nearby.
In the simplest sense, assuming no divorces and remarriages, a cousin is someone with whom one’s closest blood relationship is a shared set of grandparents. A second cousin, then, is someone with whom one’s closest blood relationship is a shared set of great-grandparents.
Source:
Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.