The word "incest", which is also called incest, also means marriage or an intimate relationship between two blood relatives. An example would be a marriage between a father and daughter, or between a brother and sister. In many cultures, the meaning of the word incest is sinful and taboo. Literally, it translates as "criminal." However, it is worth noting that in many countries the marriage bond between cousins and second cousins is quite legal and not forbidden.
Turning to historical data, I want to draw attention to the peculiar tradition of incest among royal people. Thus, the custom of preserving royal blood appeared, which could not be diluted with the blood of mere mortals. Many ancient dynasties adhered to precisely these rules.
Why is it forbidden?
Having decided what the word "incest" means, you can move on to another, no less important topic, namely, why it is banned. Indeed, why is the marriage of relatives so taboo. Once upon a time, certain rules and traditions obliged them to this, but now it can be a simple mutual desire. It seems that in the meaning of the word "incest" there is absolutely nothing sinful, you never know what kind of people have cockroaches in their heads.
All these moral dogmas are just conventions associated with a certain stage in the development of mankind. They depend, first of all, on the culture of the people. In the end, people instinctively must continue their race, regardless of the choice of partner. However, the meaning of the word "incest" has long been considered forbidden and unacceptable in many countries. The main opponent of incest is religion. And thanks to the achievements of modern science, medicine also actively opposes this phenomenon.
Inherited diseases
Having decided on the moral component and the meaning of the word "incest", we turn to the opinion of science on this subject. Now, thanks to advances in medicine, it became clear why such a phenomenon was massively condemned and condemned in many peoples. It turns out that incest leads to a kind of genetic purity.
Any signs that are transmitted genetically, that is, by inheritance, are expressed much brighter in children than in their parents. Even if some of these signs are in a dormant state for many generations, then with a high degree of probability they will appear in the fetus. For a child, this can turn into causes of congenital malformation or various chronic diseases that can even cause death.
Inbreeding
This science is studying the likelihood of a risk of congenital diseases in the child. Turning to more accurate data, expressed in numbers, it is worth noting that the doubling of genes when connecting a niece and her uncle is 12.5%, and when blood is mixed between cousins and about 6%. These numerical characteristics indicate the number of "repeated" genes in the body of the newborn.
It directly follows from this that offspring with diseases with a high degree of probability are born precisely in blood relatives. In natural selection and the evolutionary process, as a rule, they are healthier, that is, dominant genes suppress weak and painful ones. If we are talking about incest, then the baby simply has no choice which genes to take for the successful development of mankind.
Answering the main question about what the word "incest" means, one can not help illuminating the topic of DNA formation in such a situation. It is important to understand that in you and your relatives a certain area may remain recessive (for example, some kind of hereditary disease), but due to the mixing of blood it will manifest itself in a dominant position.
Does incest affect intelligence
It is worth consecrating another important aspect of incest. According to statistics, incest mental abilities are transmitted from parents to children. So, in the family of Johann Sebastian Bach there were many musicians, since among his relatives marriages between cousins were considered frequent.
However, all this can be considered only indirect signs, since scientists in no way confirm the direct connection of any abilities and intelligence, and genetics. Perhaps all this is just another coincidence in the amazing and diverse world that surrounds us. However, this only further arouses interest in its further study. We can only wish you good luck in this matter!