Page 59 - DSOC402_SOCIOLOGY_OF_KINSHIP_ENGLISH

Sukanya Das, Lovely Professional University Unit 8: Kinship Terminology

Unit 8: Kinship Terminology Notes

CONTENTS
Objectives

Introduction
8.1 Kinship Terminology
8.2 Summary
8.3 Keywords

8.4 Review Questions
8.5 Further Readings

Objectives

After studying this unit students will be able to:
• Develop the knowledge of Kinship and Kinship indicating words.
• Understand the meaning of word Kinship.

Introduction
An non-existent historical prejudice is vested in the root of Morgans’s study of kinship-indicat-
ing-terms. He always emphasized on the construction of the layers of evolution.
Reverse has presented the illustration of the importance of Kinship-indicating-terms. He says
the Kinship-indicating-terms are illustration of those social fucntions which were popular before
the use of these terms. For example, in a special class of Indians, word Mama used for a some
specific persons directs them for some social works. Reverse has tried to describe his theory in
predictive form on the basis of extinct but pre-popular rare kinship-indicating-terms. Moreover,
this can also be accepted that till when the description of Reverse are not been merged with
Morganist conjectures or predictions, till then they are assumed an useful method illustration
of kinship-indicating-terms.
In Oraon, the word ‘Tachi’ is used for father’s sister, mother’s brothers’ wife, mother’s sister
and mother-in-law. It is the symbol of the prevalence of clan Exogamy marriages (marry a kin—
father’s sister or mother’s brother’s sons/daughters, which are largely found in this tribe. Some
other examples have already been given. Yet, the acceptance of such a definition, has its own
limitations.

8.1 Kinship Terminology
According to Majumdar and Madan, “Kinship addressing words are such terms which are
used to mention kinship of various types. When we try to understand the kinship rules and
behaviour of any people. We have to necessarily ask how they classify their kin, on what basis
do they differentiate them, and what words do they use to address them. The words to address

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