Kinship Terms

Kinship terms in Ayeri
(click to enlarge; middle-click to open in new tab)

 

Close Family (pandaha nasay) Further Family (pandaha kaheng)
sitangan self, ego patran cousin
yong male sampatran 2nd cousin
panu female sambata sibling’s children, in-law children
tavamaya grandparents samyan nephew, son-in-law, male 2nd cousin(-in-law)
tengaya parents salay niece, daughter-in-law, female 2nd cousin(-in-law)
bāmā mum and dad bacan grandson, grand-nephew, male 3rd cousin
palungan partner, spouse balay granddaughter, grand-niece, female 3rd cousin
sān couple sanetu male cousin(-in-law), brother-in-law
ganengan siblings sankina female cousin(-in-law), sister-in-law
netukina brother-and-sister sitang- (adv) blood ~
badanganeng father’s siblings saha (adj) in-law ~
batadanganeng grandfather’s siblings
māvaganeng mother’s siblings
matadanganeng grandmother’s siblings
bata-bata grandchild
bata child
ayon man, husband
batadan grandfather, greatuncle
badan father
diran uncle
yan boy, son
netu brother
envan woman, wife
matadan grandmother, greataunt
māva mother
dema aunt
lay girl, daughter
kina sister

In some regards, this system is similar to the one used in English: There is no age distinction and no distinction for the side of the family. However, the distinction between own family’s children and in-laws is blurred, unless specified: A samyan (cf. saman yanye ‘second son’), for example, can be either a male second cousin proper, a male second cousin-in-law, a nephew, or the ego’s son-in-law. Adding saha (cf. saha- ‘to come here’) also does not fully disambiguate between either of the in-laws; neither does adding sitang- (‘self’) for the respective members of the family proper. For grandchildren, there is not even a distinction between own children’s children and relatives’ children’s children.