The Language of the Modhupur Mandi (Garo), Volume 2
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6.6 Kinship and Family
pp. 2176.61 Kinship Terms
pp. 217Garo kinship terms, including the terms that are used by the Mandis, can be understood as making three basic distinctions: 1. Generation, 2. Sex, and 3. Membership in a marriage group. Only the third of these will be at all strange to non-Mandis. The two marriage groups are those with which marriage is allowed and those with which marriage is forbidden. Each person belongs to the marriage group of his or her mother, and each person should marry into the opposite group. There are a few complications, but in general, it follows from these simple rules that brothers and sisters, one's mother, mother's mother, and their brothers and sisters, all belong to one's own marriage group. The father, father's mother, mother's father and the mothers and brothers and sisters of all these people would belong to the opposite group. By following out in any direction, it is possible to calculate which marriage group any kinsman belongs to. As long as everyone marries someone from the opposite kin group from one's own, each kinsman must belong to a particular marriage group. Except for the generations of the grandparents and grandchildren, people in different marriage groups are always called by different terms. Thus the mother's sister's children and the father's brother's children belong to one's own kinship group and they are called by the same terms as siblings. Father's sister, and mother's brother's wife belong to the same group as each other and they are called by the same term, while mother's sister, and father's brothers wife belong to the other group and are called by another term. Beyond this, some distinctions are made in relative age, and the terms for brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law are particularly complex, but most of the terms can be understood as expressing the three basic distinctions.
6.611 Older Generations, Male
pp. 217a-pa n. father.
a-wang, wang-gip-a n. father's younger brother, mother's younger sister's husband, stepfather.
at-chu, at-chu-gip-a n. grandfather.
ba-ba n. dad, father, (intimate). <B
ho, ho˙-gip-a n. father-in-law, (A˙ pal).
ho˙-bit-e, hu˙-bit-i, o˙-bit-e n. father-in-law.
ma-ma, ma-ma-gip-a, ma-ma-tang n. mother's brother. <B
mo-sa n. man of the opposite marriage group, brother-in-law, wife's mother's brother, sister's daughter's husband.
nang˙-pa n. your father.
Page 218pa-a, pa-gip-a n. father.
pa-jong n. father's older brother, mother's older sister's husband.
6.612 Older Generations, Female
pp. 218a-ma n. mother, mom.
ai n. mom, mother, (familiar and intimate).
am-bi n. grandmother.
ja˙-man-ni a-ma, a-pa n. stepmother, stepfather.
ma-ni, a-ni n. father's sister, mother's brother's wife, mother-in-law.
ma˙-de, ma˙-di, a˙-de, a˙-di n. mother's younger sister, father's younger brother's wife, aunt, stepmother.
ma˙-gip-a n. mother.
ma˙-jong, a˙-jong n. mother's older sister, father's older brother's wife.
na˙-gi-pa n. mother.
nang˙-ma n. your mother.
6.614 Own Generation, Male
pp. 218a-da, a-da-gip-a, a-da-tang n. elder brother, mother's elder sister's son, elder father's elder brother's son, elder parallel cousin-brother.
a-da-gip-i n. oldest brother, oldest of two or more brothers.
ang-ga-ri n. echo in cha-wa-ri ang-ga-ri son-in-law.
ang-jong, jong-gip-a, jong-tang n. younger brother, mother's younger sister's son, father's younger brother's son, younger parallel cousin-brother.
ang-sa-du, sa-du n. wife's sister's husband.
ang-se, se n. husband.
bo-ning, ang-bo-ning n. man or woman's younger sister's husband, spouse's older brother, reciprocal term between men.
da-da n. older brother, term of address.
gu-me, gu-mi, gu-me-gip-a, gu-mi-gip-a n. man or woman's older sister's husband.
jo-jong n. little brother, baby brother, affectionate name for a baby boy.
jong-sa-ri n. wife's younger brother, husband's younger brother.
nang˙-jong n. your younger brother.
nok-cham-e n. parent's of one's children-in-law, parents of a child's spouse.
sa-du, sa-du-gip-a n. wife's sister's husband: sa-du dal˙-gip-a wife's older sister's husband; sa-du chon-gip-a wife's younger sister's husband; sa-du-sa husbands of sisters.
se, si, se-gip-a, si-gip-a n. husband.
6.615 Own Generation, Female
pp. 219a-bi, a-bi-gip-a, a-bi-tang n. elder sister, mother's elder sister's daughter, father's elder brother's son, elder cousin-sister.
a-bi-gip-i n. oldest sister, oldest of two or more sisters.
a-no, no, a-no-gip-a, no-gip-a, no-tang n. younger sister, mother's younger sister's daughter, father's younger brother's daughter, younger cousin-sister.
ang-sa-ri, sa-ri n. sister-in-law.
bo-ji, bu-ji n. man's older brother's wife, wife's older sister. <B
di-di n. older sister, female teacher, primarily a term of address. <B
je-was n. wife's older sister, (same as bo-ji). <B
jik, jik-gip-a, jik-tang, ang-jik n. wife.
jik-git-e, jik-git-i n. younger wife, second wife.
jik-pang-ma n. first wife, senior wife, as opposed to jik-git-e.
jik-skang n. first wife, former wife.
no-no n. little sister, affectionate name for a baby girl.
no-sa-ri n. wife's younger sister.
sa-ri n. sister-in-law, used reciprocally between any sisters-in-law.
6.617 Younger Generation
pp. 219ang-de, ang-di, de, di, de-gip-a, di-gip-a n. child as a kinship term, son, daughter, man's brother's child, woman's sister's child.
ang-gri, gri, gri-gip-a, gri-tang n. man's sister's son, woman's brother's son, nephew.
ang-su, su˙-gip-a n. grandchild.
bo n. bride, daughter-in-law. <B
cha-wa-ri, cha-wa-ri-gip-a, cha-wa-ri-tang n. son-in-law.
de-me-chik, de-me-chik-gip-a, di-mi-chik n. daughter.
de-pan-te, di-pan-ti n. son.
ja-mai n. bridegroom, son-in-law. <B
nam-chik, ang-nam-chik n. man's sister's daughter, woman's brother's daughter, cross-niece, niece, daughter-in-law.
nok-krom n. male heir, resident son-in-law.
nok-na n. heiress, daughter who inherits property and cares for her parents.
6.62 Kinship Sets
pp. 219Mandis and other Garos use many kinship terms in pairs to refer to a particular group of kinsmen. For example am-bi 'grandmother' and at-chu 'grandfather' are joined in am-bi-at-chu which can mean 'grandparents' but can also refer to 'older people' generally, or even to 'ancestors of earlier Page 220generations'. In mixed-sex pairs, the word for the woman is usually put first, as jik-se 'wife and husband, couple'. -sa is a suffix that widens a terms meaning to include those people who refer to someone by that term: a-bi-sa means 'older sister and her younger siblings', 'a woman and everyone to whom she is a-bi older sister'.
a-bi-a-da n. older sisters and brothers.
a-bi-sa n. a set of siblings, the oldest being female; a woman or girl and her younger brother or sister; wives of two brothers.
a-da-sa n. a set of siblings, the oldest of whom is male; a boy or man and his younger brothers and sisters.
a-de-a-wang n. mother's younger sister and her husband; father's younger brother and his wife.
a-jong-pa-jong n. mother's older sister and her husband; father's older brother and his wife.
a-ma-a-pa n. mother and father, parents.
a-ma-ang-jong n. members of one's own matrilineal kin group, (lit. mother-younger brother).
a-pa-at-chu n. father and grandfather.
am-bi-at-chu n. grandfather and grandmother, old people, ancestors.
am-bi-sa n. grandmother and grandchild.
at-chu-sa n. grandfather and grandchild.
ho˙-bit-e-sa n. father-in-law and son-in-law.
jik-se n. wife and husband, couple.
jong-a-da n. brothers, younger and older.
ma-ma-sa n. mother's brother and his sister's child.
ma-ni-sa, a-ni-sa n. a mother-in-law and her son- or daughter-in-law.
ma˙-a-pa-a n. parents, mother and father.
ma˙-ning-sa n. mother and child.
no-a-bi n. sisters, younger and older.
no-jong n. younger sisters and brothers.
nok-sa-gri n. husbands of two sisters, (same as sa-du-sa).
pa-gip-a-na˙-gip-a n. parents.
pa-wa-sa, pa-ning-sa n. father and child.
-sa dns. a pair of kinsmen: at-chu-sa grandfather and grandchild; ma-ma-sa mother's brother and sister's child; ma-ni-sa mother-in-law and child-in-law.
sa-du-sa n. husbands of sisters.
sa-ri-a-ni n. mothers-in-law, daughters-in-law and sisters-in-law.
se-jik n. couple, husband and wife, less used than jik-se.
wang-sa n. uncle and niece or nephew.
6.63 Kin Groups, Lineage, etc.
pp. 221a-bi-ong n. elder sister and her people.
a-bi-sa ma˙-drang n. a set of sisters.
a-ma-cha-bak n. maternal side of the family.
a-mong n. a mother and her family.
a-pa-cha-bak n. paternal side of family, kinsmen on paternal side.
a-pong n. father and his people.
chat-chi n. kin, kinsman.
jak-a-si n. the opposite kin group, left, left hand.
ma n. matrilineal kin group, (same as ma˙-chong).
ma-ha-ri n. kin group, lineage, named group, such as Nok-rek, Cham-bu-gong, etc.
ma˙-chong n. kin group, lineage, named group, such as Nok-rek, Cham-bu-gong, etc.
ma˙-drang n. lineage, (same as ma˙-chong).
nang˙-mong nang˙-pong n. your parents and their kinsmen.
pa-chat-chi n. father's kinsmen.
tat-chi n. echo in chat-chi tat-chi kinsmen.
6.631 Related Maharis
pp. 221Mandi families are organized into matrilineal lineages that are known as ma˙I-chongs or ma-ha-ris. A person's ma˙I-chong includes his brothers and sisters, his mother and her brothers and sisters, his mother's mother and her brothers and sisters, the children of all those sisters, and so on. Each person belongs to just one ma˙I-chong but has ties to many others through his kinsmen: to his father's ma˙I-chong, his wife's ma˙I-chong and so on. These relationships are named. For example, a man refers to the men of his wife's ma˙I-chong as his chra
a-bi-a-no n. women of one's own matrilineal group; sisters.
a-ma-sa-ri n. women of one's husband's matrilineal kinship group.
a-pa-bo-ning n. men of one's husband's lineage.
chra, chra-tang, chra-gip-a n. men of a man's wife's lineage.
chra dal˙-gip-a n. the important male member of one's wife's lineage.
jik-chol n. the women of a man's wife's lineage, (same as nok-chik).
ma˙-nok n. members of one's own lineage, especially the women: mother, sisters, mother's sisters, etc.
no-ma n. female members of one's own lineage, (lit. younger sister and mother).
nok-chik n. a woman's female lineage mates, mother, sister, etc.; a man's wife's female lineage mates, wife's sisters. etc.
6.634 Near and Distant Kin
pp. 222ang-bak n. close kinsman.
bik-ma rong-ding-dang nph. classificatory kinsmen, not real siblings, (lit. different bellies).
bik-ma rong-sa nph. from the same womb, true siblings, (lit. one stomach).
chat-chi-ang-bak n. directly related kin, close kinsmen.
ha˙-gat-e, a˙-gat-i, a˙-gat-e n. classificatory rather than close kin, as a cousin-brother rather than a real brother, not kam-dak; outside, open; untucked, of a shirt.
kam˙-dak n. real kin, immediate kin, closely related.
tom-sa, a-tom tom-sa, bi-bil tom-sa n. of one womb, having the same mother, true siblings.
6.64 Kinship Statuses: Next, Youngest, etc.
pp. 222a- cp. a prefix used as a part of several kinship terms: a-bi elder sister; a-da elder brother; a-chu grandfather; optionally with terms such as a-no younger sister.
ang- cp. prefix used optionally with some kinship terms: ang-jong younger brother; ang-gri cross-nephew.
cha˙-chon n. last child, youngest of a set of siblings.
de-bring n. illegitimate child, (lit. jungle child).
de-chap, di-chap n. twin.
de-jak-ra, di-jak-ra n. first child, oldest child.
de-kim-bal, di-kim-bal n. one's next younger sibling.
de-srong, di-srong n. twin.
-gip-a dns. suffix for kinship terms when used for reference rather than as terms of address: Nel-son-ni ma˙-gip-a Nelson's mother.
-gip-i dns. oldest sibling, oldest brother or oldest sister.
git-i n. younger siblings.
ja˙-sin n. next younger sibling.
ma-ji-la n. middle child, middle one. <B
ma˙-jang-chi n. middle child, neither the youngest nor oldest child.
ran-da n. widower.
ran-di n. widow.
sok-pak n. the last child, last baby, youngest of a set of siblings.
sok-sin n. the next child, next youngest, (same as ja˙-sin).
-tang dns. a suffix used with kinship terms that makes them terms of reference rather than as terms of address: am-bi-tang grandmother; gri-tang nephew.
6.65 Marriage, Divorce, Family
pp. 2236.651 Marriage and A˙ kim (Lineage Bond)
pp. 223A Garo marriage forms a union, not only between two people but between two ma˙I-chongs 'lineages' as well. The lineage relation is called a˙I-kim and there is a considerable terminology to describe this important connection.
a˙-kang-a, ra˙-kang-a vt. have a claim on a kinship group that should supply a spouse; claim an object.
bi-a-a, bi-a ka˙-a vt. marry, get married. <B
don-a, nok-na don-a vt. give one's nok-na (heiress daughter) to the man who becomes one's nok-rom (son-in-law and heir).
dong-a vt. be married to: ang-a jik-ko dong-jok I have married a wife.
ha˙-kim, a˙-kim n. relation between two lineages that is formed and perpetuated by marriage.
ha˙-si n. echo in ha˙-kim ha˙-si the relation between two lineages formed by a marriage.
jik-sek-a vt. marry by starting to live together without formal steps; steal a wife; take someone else's wife.
kat-e chak-a vph. run away and hide, as when a young man tries to avoid marriage.
kim-a vt. marry, get married: me˙-chik me˙-a-sa-ko kim-a the woman marries the man.
kim-at kim-chi n. the relation of kin groups formed by marriage, the relation of an individual to his or her spouse's kin group: ang-a Re˙-ma-ni kim-at kim-chi I am married to the Re˙-ma lineage.
kut me-ris n. civil marriage, court marriage, a marriage performed by a judge. <E
ra-ma song˙-a, ra-ma song˙-cheng-a vi. make the first inquiries about a marriage proposal, (lit. cook the path, prepare the path).
rim˙-tat-a vt. grab by force, as when capturing a son-in-law.
ron˙-a, bi-a ron˙-a vt. marry, officiate at a marriage.
sik-tat-a vt. hit, fight, grab by force in the way sons-in-law were once captured.
6.652 Second Marriage, Replacement
pp. 223chap-a, dong-na chap-a vt. give a second spouse; attach, join, put beside; pile up, as leaves, cloth, paper; attach, join.
chap-e rim-a vph. bring as a second wife.
dong-chap-a vt. add a wife; attach, join, put beside; pile up, as leaves, cloth, paper, give a second wife to a man.
Page 224gat-a vt. give a second spouse or replacement spouse; place on, load, put on top of; cover, as one's head; put or carry on the shoulder or head; build a mud house; set trap; hang clothes, hang up jaw bones as trophies; attach a ju-al (yoke).
ja˙-chol ka˙-a vph. agree, esp. about marriage arrangements and marriage replacements.
kim-chap-a vt. add a second wife.
6.655 Divorce, Breaking the Lineage Bond
pp. 224chi-ret den˙-a vt. break a˙-kim, break the connection between intermarried kin groups ( chi-ret, water channel, is a metaphor for the connection).
dok-pak-a vt. action of a wife's kinsmen when they take her away because they don't like her husband; knock off, slap off.
gal-grik-a vt. mutually dispose of, divorce each other.
ha˙-wal wat-a, a˙-wal wat-a vt. break the lineage bonds by divorce, give up the rights to ha˙-kim, (lit. send away the land and fire ( ha˙-wal.
jik gal-a, jik-ko wat-a vt. divorce, (lit. throw away one's wife).
kim-sot-a vt. end a a˙-kim relationship that a marriage forms between two lineages.
sal-sek-a, sal-ek-a vt. pull someone away; take back a woman by a wife's kin when they dislike her husband.
se-gal-a, se-ko gal-a vt. divorce, (lit. throw away one's husband).
6.657 Family Behavior and Obligations
pp. 224ba˙-rik-a vt. take care of, carry, of a baby or small child.
de˙-a, di˙-a vt. belong to named kin group, (e.g. Cham-bu-gong, Sang-ma), assign to a lineage ( ma˙-chong): ang-ko Nok-rek de˙-a I am a Nokrek, I belong to the Nokrek lineage.
dil-e re˙-a, kim-e chu-a vph. a way of describing a husband and wife as a couple, (lit. lead in walking, sleep as married).
dong-dil-a vt. take care of baby or small child, as by child nurse.
ga˙-ak-a vi. count as kin, belong in a kinship relation, be a part of, fall into; fall, fall down, of people or objects.
gi-sil-a vi. separate from parents in eating and economic arrangements but not necessarily change residence, of a young married couple.
gro nang-e pi˙-sa man˙-a vph. have an illegitimate child, (lit. commit an offense, get a child).
ke˙-a, ki˙-a vt. permitted to marry, belonging to correct kinship groups; appropriate, as appropriate to eat with right hand: ang-a Ma-rak-ko dong-na ki˙-ja it is inappropriate for me to marry a Marak.
kra-a vi. be correct, right, suitable, appropriate, fit, competent, allowed to marry: Sang-ma-ming Ma-rak-ming dong-na kra-a for Sangma and Marak to marry each other is correct.
Page 225krim-kru adv. with many people; with many children and kinsmen: ang-ni ang-su ang-di bang˙-a krim-kru my grandchildren and children are many.
ma˙-dong n. incest, sexual relations or marriage within a named lineage.
ma˙-sik-a, ma˙-sik-a-sik-a vi. belonging to the same ma˙-chong (lineage).
nok-dong-gip-a n. a replacement spouse, one who marries a widow or widower; successor, esp. the successor of the a˙-king nok-ma (title holder of the village land).
po-ri-bar n. family. <B
ra˙-a vt. belong to a kin group such as as Cham-bu-gong or Sang-ma): ang-a Ma-rak-ko ra˙-a I belong to Marak.
ra˙-gat-a, de ra˙-gat-a vt. adopt a child, esp. a sister's daughter, so that in the absence of a true daughter she can care for her adopted parents and inherit their property.
tang˙-nap-a vi. change groups, enter a new group, as when a son-in-law joins his wife's family; change ethnicity, as when a Mandi becomes a Bengali or vice versa; get into, fit into a hole, enter into, as a bug in the eye, an insect into fire. vi. echo in at-chi-a tang˙-nap-a be born, be reborn.
