kinship terminology
Family relationship words
Kinship terminology is the system of words a language uses to classify family relationships.
Different cultures divide the family differently—some languages distinguish maternal from paternal aunts, others use one word for both.
English has relatively few kinship terms compared to languages that mark age, gender, and lineage more precisely: Anthropologists study kinship terminology to understand how societies organize family structures.
- parentMother or father
- siblingBrother or sister
- fiancéMan pledged to marry
- godchildBaptism sponsor's charge
- ancestorPredecessor in lineage
spouse · husband · aunt · nuclear family · extended family · uncle · niece · blood relative · nephew · moiety · progeny · consanguinity · cousin · once removed · twice removed · in-law · wife · chosen family
kinship terminologypersonal names
Identifying labels for individuals
proper names · given names · surnames · nicknames · honorifics
kinship terminologypersonal names
Identifying labels for individuals
given names · proper names · unique identifiers · surnames · nicknames