Serbian kinship
Encyclopedia
The Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian language
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
standard languages (Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
, Serbian
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
and Bosnian
Bosnian language
Bosnian is a South Slavic language, spoken by Bosniaks. As a standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect, it is one of the three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
) have one of the more elaborate kinship
Kinship terminology
Kinship terminology refers to the various systems used in languages to refer to the persons to whom an individual is related through kinship. Different societies classify kinship relations differently and therefore use different systems of kinship terminology - for example some languages...
(srodstvo) systems among European languages. Terminology may differ from place to place. Most words are common to other Slavic languages
Slavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
, though some derive from Turkish. The standardized languages may recognize slightly different pronunciations or dialectical forms; these are marked [S] (Serbian) and [C] (Croatian) below.
There are four main types of kinship in the family: biological blood kinship, kinship by law (in-laws
In-Laws
In-Laws is an American situation comedy that aired on NBC from September 2002 until January 2003. The series starred Bonnie Somerville, Jean Smart, Elon Gold, and Dennis Farina....
), spiritual kinship (such as godparent
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
s), and legal kinship through adoption and remarriage.
As is common in many rural family structures, three generations of a family will live together in a home in what anthropologists call a joint family structure, where parents, their son(s), and grandchildren would cohabit in a family home.
Direct descendance and ancestry
Words for relations up to five generations removed—great-great-grandparents and great-great-grandchildren—are in common use. The fourth-generation terms are also used as generics for ancestors and descendants. There is no distinction between the maternal and paternal line. In addition, specialized termsJargon
Jargon is terminology which is especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, group, or event. The philosophe Condillac observed in 1782 that "Every science requires a special language because every science has its own ideas." As a rationalist member of the Enlightenment he...
for ancestry up to sixteen generations have been coined for use in genealogical
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
circles, but these are not commonly known.These are, with feminine -a or -ka in parentheses, generation 6 kurđel(a), 7 askurđel(a), 8 kurđup(a), 9 kurlebalo/a, 10 sukurdol(a), 11 sudepač(a), 12 parđupan(a), 13 ožmikur(k)a, 14 kurajber(a), 15 sajkatav(k)a, 16 (m) b(ij)eli orao (f) b(ij)ela orlica.
| Latin | Cyrillic | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| potomkinja | потомкиња | female descendant |
| potomak | потомак | male descendant |
| čukununuka, šukununuka[C] | чукунунука | great-great-granddaughter |
| čukununuk, šukununuk[C] | чукунунук | great-great-grandson |
| praunuka | праунука | great-granddaughter, descendant |
| praunuk | праунук | great-grandson, descendant |
| unuka | унука | granddaughter |
| unuk | унук | grandson |
| (k)ćer(ka), kći[C] | (k)ћер(ка) | daughter |
| sin | син | son |
| majka, mati | мајка, мати | mother |
| otac | отац | father |
| baba, baka | баба, бака | grandmother |
| d(j)ed(a), deka, đed,[S] dida[C] | д(ј)ед(a), дека, ђед[S] | grandfather |
| prababa, prabaka | прабаба | great-grandmother, ancestor |
| prad(j)ed(a), prađed[S] | прад(ј)ед(a), прађед[S] | great-grandfather, ancestor |
| čukunbaba, šukunbaka[C] | чукунбаба | great-great-grandmother |
| čukund(j)ed(a), čukunđed,[S] šukundjed[C] | чукунд(ј)ед(a), чукунђед[S] | great-great-grandfather |
| pretkinja | преткиња | female ancestor |
| predak | предак | male ancestor |
Ego's generation
DiminutiveDiminutive
In language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...
forms of siblings are used for cousins.
| Latin | Cyrillic | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| brat | брат | brother |
| sestra | сестра | sister |
| bratić[C] | братић | male first cousin |
| sestrična[C] | сестрична | female first cousin |
| rođak | рођак | male cousin, relative |
| rođaka, rođakinja, rodica | рођака, рођакиња, родица | female cousin, relative |
Indirect ancestry, descendants and legal relations
There are separate terms for maternal and paternal uncles, but not for aunts. In addition, spouses of uncles and aunts have their own terms.| Latin | Cyrillic | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| stric | стриц | paternal uncle |
| strina | стрина | paternal uncle's wife |
| ujak | ујак | maternal uncle |
| ujna | ујна | maternal uncle's wife; sometimes maternal aunt |
| tetka | тетка | aunt (only mother's or father's sister or cousin) |
| tetak (teča) | тетак (теча) | aunt's husband (where aunt defined as "tetka") |
| bratanac | братанац | fraternal nephew (for women) |
| sinovac | синовац | fraternal nephew (for men) |
| bratanica | братаница | fraternal niece |
| nećak (Dalmatian-Croatian) | нећак | nephew |
| nećaka, nećakinja (Dalmatian-Croatian | нећака, нећакиња | niece |
| sestrić | сестрић | sororal nephew |
| sestričina | сестричина | sororal niece |
In-laws
There are separate terms for a man's and a woman's parents-in-law. However, the same terms are commonly used for siblings-in-law and children-in-law. There are separate terms for co-siblings-in-law.| Latin | Cyrillic | Relation | English translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| svekar | свекар | husband's father | father-in-law Father-in-law A parent-in-law is a person who has a legal affinity with another by being the parent of the other's spouse. Many cultures and legal systems impose duties and responsibilities on persons connected by this relationship... |
| svekrva | свекрва | husband's mother | mother-in-law |
| punac, tast[S] | пунац, таст[S] | wife's father | father-in-law |
| punica, tašta[S] | пуница, ташта[S] | wife's mother | mother-in-law |
| zet | зет | daughter's or sister's husband | son-in-law Son-in-Law Son-in-Law was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and an influential sire, especially for sport horses.The National Horseracing Museum says that Son-in-Law is "probably the best and most distinguished stayer this country has ever known." Described as "one of the principal influences for stamina in... or brother-in-law Brother-in-law A brother-in-law is the brother of one's spouse, the husband of one's sibling, or the husband of one's spouse's sibling.-See also:*Affinity *Sister-in-law*Brothers in Law , a 1955 British comedy novel... |
| nevjesta,[C] snaha,[S] snaja[S] | нев(ј)еста,снаха, снаjа | son's or brother's wife | daughter-in-law or sister-in-law Sister-in-law A sister-in-law is the sister of one's spouse, the wife of one's sibling, or sometimes the wife of one's spouse's sibling... |
| šurak, šurjak, šogor[C] | шурак, шурjак | wife's brother | brother-in-law |
| šurnjaja, šurjakinja | шурњаја, шурјакиња | wife's brother's wife | sister-in-law Sister-in-law A sister-in-law is the sister of one's spouse, the wife of one's sibling, or sometimes the wife of one's spouse's sibling... |
| svastika, šogorica[C] | свастика | wife's sister | sister-in-law |
| svastić | свастић | wife's sister's son | nephew-in-law |
| svastičina | свастичина | wife's sister's daughter | niece-in-law |
| djever, dever | девер, дjевер | husband's brother | brother-in-law |
| zaova | заова | husband's sister | sister-in-law |
| pašenog, pašanac, badžanac[C] | пашеног, пашанац, баџа | wife's sister's husband | co-brother-in-law |
| jetrva | јетрва | husband's brother's wife | co-sister-in-law |
Step-relatives
| Latin | Cyrillic | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| očuh | очух | stepfather |
| maćeha | маћеха | stepmother |
| pastorak | пасторак | stepson |
| pastorka, pastorkinja | пасторка, пасторкиња | stepdaughter |
| polusestra | полусестра | stepsister |
| polubrat | полубрат | stepbrother |
Foster-relatives
Foster relations are important and have dedicated terms.| Latin | Cyrillic | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| usvojenik | усвојеник | adopted son |
| usvojenica | усвојеница | adopted daughter |
| poočim | поочим | foster-father |
| pomajka | помајка | foster-mother |
| posinak, usinjenik[S] | посинак, усињеник[S] | foster-son |
| po(k)ćerka | по(к)ћерка | foster-daughter |