Filiation

Filiation is the state of being a child or descendant of a person, or the legal relationship between a child and one or both parents. The term derives from Latin filius, meaning son, and filia, meaning daughter. In everyday usage, filiation covers biological descent as well as social and legal bonds that tie a child to its parents.

In law, filiations establish parental rights and duties, such as support, inheritance, and legitimacy. A child can be linked to parents by birth, paternal recognition, or adoption. Depending on the jurisdiction, filiation may be established through birth certificates, court orders, or genetic tests. Paternity and maternity suits, acknowledgment of paternity, and procedures related to adoption are common devices for determining or formalizing filiation. Modern law often recognizes both blood-based and socially recognized filiations, and it can define rights and responsibilities even when biological ties are absent.

In biology and genetics, the term filial is used to denote offspring. The phrase “filial generation” refers to the generation produced by a parental generation in breeding experiments. In classic Mendelian genetics, the P generation is the parental stock, while F1, F2, and subsequent generations are filial generations, illustrating inheritance patterns across generations.

In anthropology and sociology, filiations are central to kinship systems and social organization. Descent can be traced through the paternal line (patrilineal), the maternal line (matrilineal), or both (bilineal). Filiation influences social identity, inheritance rights, succession, and naming practices, shaping group membership and resource distribution within communities.

Overall, filiation encompasses biological descent, legal parentage, and social kinship, reflecting how families and lineages are formed and recognized across contexts.