In Roman law. The term in-cluded “all the cognates who trace thelr connection exclusively through males. A table of cognates is formed by taking each liueal ancestor in turn and including all his descendants of both sexes in the tabular view. If, then, in tracing the various branch-es of such fi genealogical table or tree, we stop whenever we come to the name of a female, and pursue that particular brauch or raiuiflcatiou uo further, all who remain after the descendants of womeu hare been excluded are agnates, and their connection together is agnatic relationship.” Maine, Anc. Law, 142
Source: Black's Law Dictionary 2nd Ed (1910)
