Key Terms

affinals	Relatives by marriage, whether of lineals (e.g., son's wife) or collaterals (e.g., sister's husband).



ambilineal	Principle of descent that does not automatically exclude the children of either sons or daughters.



bifurcate collateral kinship terminology	Kinship terminology employing separate terms for M, F, MB, MZ, FB, and FZ.



bilateral kinship calculation	A system in which kinship ties are calculated equally through both sexes: mother and father, sister and brother, daughter and son, and so on.



clan	Unilineal descent group based on stipulated descent.



collateral household	Type of expanded family household including siblings and their spouses and children.



descent group	A permanent social unit whose members claim common ancestry; fundamental to tribal society.



ego	Latin for I. In kinship charts, the point from which one views an egocentric genealogy.



extended family	Expanded household including three or more generations.



family of orientation	Nuclear family in which one is born and grows up.



family of procreation	Nuclear family established when one marries and has children.



functional explanation	Explanation that establishes a correlation or interrelationship between social customs. When customs are functionally interrelated, if one changes, the others also change.



generational kinship terminology	Kinship terminology with only two terms for the parental generation, one designating M, MZ, and FZ and the other designating F, FB, and MB.



kinship calculation	The system by which people in a particular society reckon kin relationships.



lineage	Unilineal descent group based on demonstrated descent.



lineal kinship terminology	Parental generation kin terminology with four terms: one for M, one for F, one for FB and MB, and one for MZ and FZ.



lineal relative	Any of ego's ancestors or descendants (e.g., parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren); on the direct line of descent that leads to and from ego.



matrilineal descen	-Unilineal descent rule in which people join the mother's group automatically at birth and stay members throughout life.



matrilocality	Customary residence with the wife's relatives after marriage, so that children grow up in their mother's community.



neolocality	Postmarital residence pattern in which a couple establishes a new place of residence rather than living with or near either set of parents.



patrilineal descent	Unilineal descent rule in which people join the father's group automatically at birth and stay members throughout life.



patrilocality	Customary residence with the husband's relatives after marriage, so that children grow up in their father's community.



unilineal descent	Matrilineal or patrilineal descent.

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