Adfines

Affines. Lat. [from ad, to, and finis, a border, or limit.] In the civil law. Relations, or connections by marriage; so called, because the families {cognationes,) of the husband and wife are connected by the marriage ( per nuptiae copulantur), and the one comes up to the line which divides it from the other, (et altera ad alterius cognationis finem accedit) Dig. 38. 10. 4. 3. Thus very expressively distinguishing them from relations by blood, between whom there exists an actual union, without any intervening barrier, {finis,) or dividing line.