# For the last time: why qualify a "direct descendant" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 26, 2015, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time-why-qualify-a-direct-descendant/718540 "2015-04-26T00:12:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time-why-qualify-a-direct-descendant/718540/1 "2015-04-26T00:12:57Z")
What’s an “indirect descendant” anyway, your brother’s or your uncle’s descendants? ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time-why-qualify-a-direct-descendant/718540/2 "2015-04-26T00:13:46Z")
Do you promise it’s the last time? ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time-why-qualify-a-direct-descendant/718540/3 "2015-04-26T00:15:13Z")
Just for me, yeah. You promise to be factual? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time-why-qualify-a-direct-descendant/718540/4 "2015-04-26T00:25:55Z")
> or (somewhart different) > **[Lineal descendant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lineal_descendant)** > > A lineal descendant, in legal usage, is a blood relative in the direct line of descent – the children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc. of a person. In a legal procedure sense, lineal descent refers to the acquisition of estate by inheritance by parent from grandparent and by child from parent, whereas collateral descent refers to the acquisition of estate or real property by inheritance by sibling from sibling, and cousin from cousin. > Adopted children, for whom adoption statutes create ... or > **[What Are Direct Descendants?](https://oureverydaylife.com/direct-descendants-8204511.html)** > > Whether you're tracing the roots of your family tree or trying to determine descendent's of a family member for legal reasons, understanding the difference between lineal and collateral descendants is helpful. Lineal descendants are considered direct... ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time-why-qualify-a-direct-descendant/718540/5 "2015-04-26T01:41:34Z")
Ok then, it’s merely a reinforcement when considering things like inheritance or perhaps royal succession. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time-why-qualify-a-direct-descendant/718540/6 "2015-04-26T04:48:00Z")
Not “merely a reinforcement”, it’s an important distinction. I don’t have children: if I die untestated, my brothers are my heirs. But if I had children and died untestated, my brothers would get to help carry the coffin. Big distinction, from “split everything in half” to “zero”. There are other jurisdictions where my brothers would be my heirs only if I wrote a will. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time-why-qualify-a-direct-descendant/718540/7 "2015-04-26T05:20:10Z")
**Nava** biological children. You could take in an orphan baby and raise it as your own, and s/he would inherit your property and be your child in everyway, but they would not be your descendant. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time-why-qualify-a-direct-descendant/718540/8 "2015-04-26T10:01:58Z")
I never had any doubt about this: My ‘direct’ descendants are my children and my children’s children… ad infinitum. It follows then, that ‘indirect’ are my siblings children etc. As a nitpick for > [@Nava](#): > > if I die _untestated_ The word is ‘_intestate_’, at least here in the UK. Here, and I guess, in most countries, there are strict rules for dividing up an estate where there is no will. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2015, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time-why-qualify-a-direct-descendant/718540/9 "2015-04-26T14:06:56Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Not “merely a reinforcement”, it’s an important distinction. > > I don’t have children: if I die untestated, my brothers are my heirs. > [@bob\_2](#): > > The word is ‘_intestate_’, at least here in the UK. Here, and I guess, in most countries, there are strict rules for dividing up an estate where there is no will. If he bled to death because he got his “family jewels” ripped off would he die untestated? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2015, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time-why-qualify-a-direct-descendant/718540/10 "2015-04-27T00:03:05Z")
Awesome pun, of course. But I think the only family jewels [Nava](http://www.nouilles.info/sdpix/49782.html) possesses will be safely ensconced in a jewel case. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2015, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time-why-qualify-a-direct-descendant/718540/11 "2015-04-27T04:01:01Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > **Nava** biological children. You could take in an orphan baby and raise it as your own, and s/he would inherit your property and be your child in everyway, but they would not be your descendant. They wouldn’t inherit unless I didn’t merely raise that baby but adopt them. _pokes fun at the lawyer who forgot that detail_ ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2015, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time-why-qualify-a-direct-descendant/718540/12 "2015-04-27T04:16:22Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > They wouldn’t inherit unless I didn’t merely raise that baby but adopt them. _pokes fun at the lawyer who forgot that detail_ 😃 Touche. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2015, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time-why-qualify-a-direct-descendant/718540/13 "2015-04-27T13:08:28Z")
Old joke: “He died intestate.” “Oooh, sounds painful.” ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2015, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time-why-qualify-a-direct-descendant/718540/14 "2015-04-27T20:50:41Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > The word is ‘_intestate_’, at least here in the UK. Here, and I guess, in most countries, there are strict rules for dividing up an estate where there is no will. Same here across the pond: testate and intestate. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2015, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time-why-qualify-a-direct-descendant/718540/15 "2015-04-27T23:18:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **bob++** : > > Here, and I guess, in most countries, there are strict rules for dividing up an estate where there is no will. Yes, but the precise rules will be different in every jurisdiction. It might all go to a surviving spouse, or all to the deceased’s children, or to the deceased’s direct descendants, or to all of the deceased’s blood relatives, or to relatives including by marriage, and in any case where it’s split up, it might be split evenly, or proportionate to the degree of relatedness, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2015, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time-why-qualify-a-direct-descendant/718540/16 "2015-04-28T22:41:39Z")
But the discussion is about descendants, not heirs and assigns. What kind of descendant is not a direct descendant? My nieces and nephews and their kids are not my descendants, are they? They’re my parents’ (or my spouse’s parents’) descendants. Seems to me “direct” is superfluous and used only for emphasis. The exception to this is when we add “male” or “female” to the equation, indicating an unbroken patrilineal or matrilineal line. I don’t think that’s the kind of usage the OP objects to, though. It’s just another case for the Department of Redundancy Department. ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2015, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time-why-qualify-a-direct-descendant/718540/17 "2015-04-28T22:44:16Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > **Nava** biological children. You could take in an orphan baby and raise it as your own, and s/he would inherit your property and be your child in everyway, but they would not be your descendant. That depends on whether the context is social or biological. I’m adopted, as are my siblings, but our children and their children think of themselves as descendants of our adoptive parents and grandparents. Socially, but not genetically. It’s a family matter, not a biological one. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2015, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-the-last-time-why-qualify-a-direct-descendant/718540/18 "2015-04-29T09:21:20Z")
> [@Learjeff](#): > > But the discussion is about descendants, not heirs and assigns. > > What kind of descendant is not a direct descendant? My nieces and nephews and their kids are not my descendants, are they? They’re my parents’ (or my spouse’s parents’) descendants. > > Seems to me “direct” is superfluous and used only for emphasis. > > The exception to this is when we add “male” or “female” to the equation, indicating an unbroken patrilineal or matrilineal line. I don’t think that’s the kind of usage the OP objects to, though. > > It’s just another case for the Department of Redundancy Department. Your neices and nephews are your indirect descendants. They share some genes with you via your siblings. For some medical purposes and some inheritance purposes (esp. if you die intestate and without children or a spouse) that could matter. Informally, it also counts, because aunts and uncles - especially childless ones - usually have some part in their neices’ and nephews’ lives. It’s not like there’s “direct descendants” and then “virtual strangers” with nothing in between.