Anyway, we started doing a unit on semantics yesterday, and he gave us a chart of Ngas family terms. I don't have access to a scanner right now, but there were a few features about the family terms that I found interesting:
- There are two sets of words, depending on whether the person talking is male or female.
- Terms are reciprocal.
- All individuals of a given generation are addressed with the same terms, with only one exception.
To begin with, assuming a male speaker:
Generation G:
The word for "brother" is mol, and the word for "sister" is mal. There are is also a unique term for brother-in-law (sər). The same word, màt, is used to refer to one's own wife, and also to one's sister-in-law.
There are no unique words for "cousin" - your male cousin is mol, and your female cousin is mal, just like your siblings. The same holds true for marriages - one's cousin's husband is sər, and one's cousin's wife is màt.
Generation G1:
The word for "mother" is nən, and the word for "father" is pup. These are also the words for "aunt" and "uncle" - one's father's brother is also pup, and one's mother's brother's wife is nən.
The mother's brother is a very important relationship in Ngas culture - as Dr. Burquest put it, your mother's brother is basically the guardian angel who raised you. You share his possessions, and he is to blame for your failings. Since this relationship is so important, it has its own term - kən, maternal uncle.
Generation G2:
The word for "grandfather" is gəzhet, and the word for "grandmother" is kəka. These same words also are used for "great-aunt" and "great-uncle," regardless of whether they are by blood or by marriage. One's grandfather's sister's husband is gəzhet, same as the grandfather himself.
Older relatives then this are also referred to as gəzhet and kəka. One's great-great-great-great-great-grandfather is gəzhet, same as one's grandfather.
Generation G-1:
The term for "son" is ɗyem, and the term for "daughter" is rip.
Here is where the reciprocal nature comes in. The term for one's sister's or female cousin's child is kən, like one's mother's brother. That's because, to them, the male speaker is their mother's brother, so they share that relationship.
For some reason, the term for "daughter-in-law" is gəzhet. The term for "son-in-law" is also sər, the same as "brother-in-law."
Generation G-2+
One's grandchildren are gəzhet, because the male speaker is his grandchildren's grandfather. One's great-great-great-grandchildren would be gəzhet, same as one's grandchildren.
Female kinship terms are the same as for men, except that one's husband is called məs. Additionally, one's daughter-in-law is kəka. Interestingly, your brother's/cousin's wife is still màt.
Anyway, this all makes more sense with a diagram to look at. I'll try to put it up as soon as I can scan it in.
