Some of these are common relations and are included for completeness. The degrees of mourning indicated in the table are based on ego as an unmarried member of the family. Where they differ, the Simplified Chinese character is presented first, followed by the Traditional Chinese character in parentheses. This section covers members and their spouses found beyond the first nine corner cells on the table of consanguinity or cousin chart. Although some of the relations seem distant, they are considered close relatives and it is common for Chinese families to have regular contact with these members. Other than some of the relations mentioned in the previous sections that are not covered under the five degrees of mourning attire, the following are kin that are also considered distant. 外 - prefix for maternal line relations; essentially anyone not sharing the same surname as ego  The following familial relationship suggests partial or no consanguinity. Most of them are not a modern phenomenon, however. In fact, polygamy (specifically polygyny) was widely accepted in pre-republican China. The saying of "three fathers and eight mothers" (三父八母) refers to: Another saying of "five fathers and ten mothers" (五父十母) refers to and two mothers added to the eight mentioned above:  As a result of polygamy there would be half-siblings:   General: