Mizo - Kinship

Kin Groups and Descent. There are two overall principles that govern kinship practices as they relate to social organization: (1) all females moving out of one's own family through marriage are categorized together and their husbands also stand as a group in relation to Ego; (2) the females who come into the agnate group of Ego form a group, and therefore male relatives of the incoming female group are designated by the same term, without making any distinction of generation and seniority, and all their spouses also form a group. All kin help in the construction of a house, assist in marriage and death ceremonies, and get their share of a bride-price and the meat of animals killed during a marriage. Descent is patrilineal.

Kinship Terminology. Kinship terminology is of the Omaha type. Within the circle of closer kin the system works according to the bifurcate-merging principle. There are twenty-two kinship terms. The range of this terminology is limited to two generations above and two generations below.