Difference between revisions of "Affinity"

<p> [[Affin'Ity,]] n. [[L.]] affinitas, from affinis, adjacent, related by marriage ad and finis, end. </p> 1. The relation contracted by marriage, between a husband and his wife's kindred, and between a wife and her husband's kindred in contradistinction from consanguinity or relation by blood. <p> [[Solomon]] made affinity with Pharaoh. &nbsp;1 Kings 3 . </p> 2. [[Agreement]] relation conformity resemblance connection as, the affinity of sounds, of colors, or of languages. 3. In chimistry, attraction elective attraction, or that tendency which different species of matter have to unite, and combine with certain other bodies, and the power that disposes them to continue in combination There are two kinds of affinity. 1. [[Affinity]] of aggregation, which is the power that causes two homogeneous bodies to tend towards each other, unite and cohere, as two drops of water, which unite in one. 2. Affinity of composition, which is the tendency of bodies of different kinds to unite and form new combinations of bodies with different properties. Such is the affinity which unites acids and alkalies, the results of which combination are neutral salts. <p> The operations of this principle are various. When heterogeneous bodies have mutually an equal attraction, it is called compound affinity. When one substance decomposes a combination of others, unites with one of them and precipitates the other, the power is called the affinity of decomposition. When bodies will not unite, but by means of a third, which enables them to combine, this is affinity by means of a medium. </p> <p> [[Double]] affinity is when by means of four bodies, two decompositions and two new combinations are effected. </p>

<p> '''(1):''' (n.) [[A]] relation between species or highe/ groups dependent on resemblance in the whole plan of structure, and indicating community of origin. </p> <p> '''(2):''' (n.) Relationship by marriage (as between a husband and his wife's blood relations, or between a wife and her husband's blood relations); - in contradistinction to consanguinity, or relationship by blood; - followed by with, to, or between. </p> <p> '''(3):''' (n.) Kinship generally; close agreement; relation; conformity; resemblance; connection; as, the affinity of sounds, of colors, or of languages. </p> <p> '''(4):''' (n.) Companionship; acquaintance. </p> <p> '''(5):''' (n.) That attraction which takes place, at an insensible distance, between the heterogeneous particles of bodies, and unites them to form chemical compounds; chemism; chemical or elective affinity or attraction. </p> <p> '''(6):''' (n.) [[A]] superior spiritual relationship or attraction held to exist sometimes between persons, esp. persons of the opposite sex; also, the man or woman who exerts such psychical or spiritual attraction. </p>

<p> '''Affinity.''' ''See '' '''Marriage''' ''.'' </p>

<p> (designated in Heb. by some form of the verb חָת — ן, ''chathan’,'' to ''give in marriage)'' is relationship by marriage, as distinguished from ''consanguinity,'' which is relationship by blood. </p> <p> '''1.''' Marriages between persons thus related, in various degrees, which previous usage, in different conditions of society, had allowed, were forbidden by the law of Moses. These degrees are enumerated in &nbsp;Leviticus 18:7 sq. The examples before the law are those of [[Cain]] and Abel, who, as the necessity of the case required, married their own sisters. Abraham married Sarah, the daughter of his father by another wife; and Jacob married the two sisters [[Leah]] and Rachel. In the first instance, and even in the second, there was an obvious consanguinity, and only the last offered a previous relationship of affinity merely. So also, in the prohibition of the law, a consanguinity can be traced in what are usually set down as degrees of affinity merely. The degrees of real affinity interdicted are. that a man shall not (nor a woman in the corresponding relations) marry, </p> <p> '''(1),''' his father’ s widow (not his own mother); </p> <p> '''(2),''' the daughter of his father’ s wife by another husband; </p> <p> '''(3),''' the widow of his paternal uncle; </p> <p> '''(4),''' nor his brother’ s widow if he has left children by her; but, if not, he was bound to marry her to raise up children to his deceased brother. (See [[Levirate Law]]). </p> <p> The other restrictions are connected with the condition of polygamy, and they prohibit a man from having, </p> <p> '''(1),''' a mother and her daughter for wives at the same time, </p> <p> '''(2),''' or two sisters for wives at the same time. </p> <p> These prohibitions, although founded in Oriental notions, adapted to a particular condition of society, and connected with the peculiarities of the Levitical marriage law, have been imported wholesale into our canon law. The fitness of this is doubted by many; but as, apart from any moral or sanitary questions, the prohibited marriages are such as few would, in the present condition of Occidental society, desire to contract, and such as would be deemed repugnant to good taste and correct manners, there is little real matter of regret in this adoption of the Levitical law. Indeed the objections have arisen chiefly from a misunderstanding of the last of the above prohibitions, which, under permitted polygamy, forbade a man to have two sisters at once — an injunction which has been construed under the [[Christian]] law, which allows but one wife, to apply equally to the case of a man marrying the sister of a deceased wife. The law itself is rendered in our version, "Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her lifetime" (&nbsp;Leviticus 18:18). [[Clear]] as this seems, it is still clearer if, with [[Gesenius]] and others, we take the word צָרִר, ''tsarar’,'' rendered ''to vex,'' to mean ''to rival,'' as in the Septuagint, Arabic, and Vulgate. The [[Targum]] of Jonathan, the Mishna, and the celebrated [[Jewish]] commentators Jarchi and Ben Gerson, are satisfied that two sisters at once are intended; and there seems an obvious design to prevent the occurrence of such unseemly jealousies and contentions between sister-wives as embittered the life of the patriarch Jacob. The more recondite sense has been extracted, with rather ungentle violence to the principles of [[Hebrew]] construction, by making "vex her" the antecedent of "in her lifetime," instead of "take her sister to her, in her lifetime." Under this view it is explained that the married sister should not be "vexed" in her lifetime by the prospect that her sister might succeed her. It may be safely said that such an idea would never have occurred in the East, where unmarried sisters are far more rarely than in Europe brought into such acquaintance with the husband of the married sister as to give occasion for such "vexation" or "rivalry" as this. Yet this view of the matter, which is completely exploded among sound Biblical critics, has received the sanction of several Christian councils (Concil. Illiber. can. 61; Aurat. can. 17; Auxer. can. 30), and is perhaps not calculated to do much harm, except under peculiar circumstances, and except as it may prove a snare to some sincere but weak consciences. It may be remarked that, in those codes of law which most resemble that of Moses on the general subject, no prohibition of the marriage of two sisters in succession can be found. (See Westhead, Marriage Code of Israel, Lond. 1850; Critici Sac. Thes. Nov. 1, 379.) (See [[Marriage]]). </p> <p> '''2.''' The substance of the Levitical law is adopted in England, and may be found in the "table of degrees" within which persons may not marry, which was set forth by [[Archbishop]] Parker in 1563, and was confirmed by can. 99 of the synod of London, 1604. (See [[Incest]]). </p> <p> '''3.''' According to the Roman canon law, affinity arises from marriage or from an unlawful intercourse between the one party and the blood relations of the other party; but in either case it is necessary that copula sit completa [[(S.]] Thomas, 4to, dist. 41, qu. 1, art. 1). [[Persons]] related to each other may contract affinity, as the husband with the relations of his wife, without the relations of the parties becoming bound together by any affinity; e.g. two brothers may marry two sisters, a father and his son may marry a mother and her daughter. The impediment of affinity, arising from marriage consummated, extends canonically, as in natural relationship, to the fourth degree inclusive. The impediment of affinity arising ex coitu illicito only extends to the second degree (Conc. Trid. sess. 24, de reform. cap. 4). It is ruled in the Latin Church that the pope cannot dispense in the first degree of affinity in the direct line, but he can in the indirect; thus he can grant a dispensation to a man to marry his brother’ s widow. (See [[Consanguinity]]). </p>

<p> '''''a''''' -'''''fin´i''''' -'''''ti''''' ( חתן , <i> '''''ḥāthan''''' </i> "to join one-self"): This term is used three times in the Old Testament: (1) in &nbsp;1 Kings 3:1 , where we read that "Solomon made affinity with [[Pharaoh]] King of Egypt", (2) in &nbsp;2 Chronicles 18:1 , where it is stated that [[Jehoshaphat]] "joined affinity with Ahab," and (3). in &nbsp;Ezra 9:14 , where it is asked "Shall we ... join in affinity with the peoples that do these abominations?" The Hebrew word thus rendered in the above three passages refers in each case to marriage alliances rather than to family or political relationships. See [[Marriage]]; [[Family]] . </p>