1. plural of cognation; relationships or connections based on common descent or kinship, especially through the mother's line or in general kinship systems.
Usage: formal; chiefly used in anthropology and genealogy
2. plural of cognation; linguistic relationships between words that share a common origin or root.
Usage: linguistics

Examples

• The anthropologist studied the cognations within the tribal community to understand their social structure.
• Through DNA analysis, researchers traced the cognations linking distant populations across continents.
• Linguists examine cognations between Romance languages to reconstruct Proto-Indo-European.
• The family tree revealed complex cognations that had been lost over several generations.
• Understanding cognations in kinship systems is essential for studying traditional societies.