This is discussion archived from a time before the current discussion method was installed.
- Cousins are also referred to by these four terms with the addition of tang or biao according to arcane rules having to do with whether/how your fathers are related.
Air Of Mystery: Out of interest, what are these rules?
This may differ in region and time period. In modern Canton, Tang refers to cousin on your father side while biao refers to cousin on your mother's side. This can become really confusing when one of your cousin use tang while you use biao, in a case such as when this cousin is your mother's brother's child. In reality, we just use names now-a-days and tick on the regular sibling terms.
Another note: I have never heard of Xiao Ge used as a reference to an actual blood relative except in an sarcastic sense (when the girl is acting like a rich bitch).
