Cousin Uncle

[darkerhorse]

On a 1906 immigration record, a 27-year old Sicilian immigrant is joining his "uncle".

It turns out that the "uncle" is the husband of his second cousin who is about 20-25 years older than the immigrant.

Would an Italian (Sicilian) ever refer to an elder cousin's husband as "uncle" rather than as "cousin", or is this more likely an error?

[MarcuccioV]

I've seen similar. Even odd ones. My grandfather's manifest lists a "brother-cousin". It was his first cousin. I can understand a 2nd cousin's husband being referred to as "Zio"...

[PippoM]

"brother-cousin" seems the translation of "fratello cugino", used in Neapolitan dialect to mean a first cousin.

[MarcuccioV]

"brother-cousin" seems the translation of "fratello cugino", used in Neapolitan dialect to mean a first cousin.

We do have more distant ties to Naples, some originating in Sicily. Then to Frosinone & finally central Lazio.