Kashinawa - Kinship



Kin Groups and Descent. Every individual is a member of one of the two patrimoieties, subdivided by gender. The male moieties are inubakebu and duabakebu ; the sisters of inubakebu are inanibakebu and the sisters of duabakebu are banubakebu. A woman belongs to the group of her father's sister, and father's father's sister, and/or mother's mother. The patrimoieties are each divided into two marriage sections composed of those members of the moiety in alternating generations. Inubakebu-inanibakebu are members of either awabakebu or kanabakebu; duabakebu-banubakebu are members of yawabakebu or dunubakebu. A man is a member of the same marriage section as his father's father and son's son; a woman is a member of the same marriage section as her mother's mother and daughter's daughter. At the same time, a man's father and his son are members of the other marriage section of his moiety and a woman's father's sister and her brother's daughter are members of the other marriage section of her moiety. Awabakebu marry yawabakebu and kanabakebu marry dunubakebu. Apart from regulating marriage, the moieties function largely within the ritual context.

Kinship Terminology. Kashinawa kinship terminology is of the Kariera subtype of Dravidian. In Ego's generation all individuals are either siblings of the same sex ( betsa ), siblings of the opposite sex ( pui ), or cross cousins (i.e., either brothers/sisters-in-law, chai/tsabe, or wives/husbands, ain/ bene ). Siblings and parallel cousins may also be classified as older or younger. Older brothers ( huchi ) are equated with father's father, younger brothers ( ichu ) with son's sons (male speaker) and daughter's sons (female speaker). Older sisters ( chipi ) are equated with mother's mother (actual mother's mother is called chichi), and younger sisters ( ichu ) are equated with son's daughters (male speakers) and daughter's daughters (female speakers). Males refer to older female cross cousins as xanu, the term used for father's mother; females refer to older male cross cousins as chaita, the term also used for mother's father.

Within the first ascending generation, all individuals are either fathers ( epa ), father's sisters ( achi [male Ego] or yaya [female Ego]), mothers ( ewa ), or mother's brothers ( kuka ). Within the first descending generation, sons and daughters are called bake, although men may refer to their sons as beden. Men refer to their sister's sons (also daughters' husbands) as dais, the same term women use to refer to their brothers' sons and daughters' husbands. Men refer to their sister's daughters (also sons' wives) as babawan, the same term women use to refer to their brothers' daughters and sons' wives. All grandchildren may also be called by the term baba.


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