Zarma

ETHNONYMS: Djerma, Djermis, Dyabarma, Dyarma, Dyerma, Zabarmas, Zabermas, Zabirmawa, Zabramas, Zabrima, Zerma

Settlements

Zarma villages are typically nucleated settlements made up of round mud or thatched dwellings with straw roofs and and also of occasional rectangular houses built of dried-mud bricks.

Kinship

The patrilineage and lineage segments are the most significant kinship groupings. Descent is patrilineal. Iroquois cousin terminology, with bifurcate-merging terms, is used.

See also Songhay

THOMAS M. PAINTER