Chiricahua 2 Apache

hide painting depicting apache girl s puberty ceremony, naiche (chiricahua apache), ca. 1900, oklahoma history center

the chiricahua language has 4 different words grandparent: -chú maternal grandmother , -tsúyé maternal grandfather , -chʼiné paternal grandmother , -nálé paternal grandfather . additionally, grandparent s siblings identified same word; thus, 1 s maternal grandmother, 1 s maternal grandmother s sisters, , 1 s maternal grandmother s brothers called -chú. furthermore, grandparent terms reciprocal, is, grandparent use same term refer grandchild in relationship. example, person s maternal grandmother called -chú , maternal grandmother call person -chú (i.e. -chú can mean child of either own daughter or sibling s daughter.)

chiricahua cousins not distinguished siblings through kinship terms. thus, same word refer either sibling or cousin (there not separate terms parallel-cousin , cross-cousin). additionally, terms used according sex of speaker (unlike english terms brother , sister): -kʼis same-sex sibling or same-sex cousin , -´-ląh opposite-sex sibling or opposite-sex cousin . means if 1 male, 1 s brother called -kʼis , 1 s sister called -´-ląh. if 1 female, 1 s brother called -´-ląh , 1 s sister called -kʼis. chiricahuas in -´-ląh relationship observed great restraint , respect toward relative; cousins (but not siblings) in -´-ląh relationship may practice total avoidance.

two different words used each parent according sex: -mááʼ mother , -taa father . likewise, there 2 words parent s child according sex: -yáchʼeʼ daughter , -gheʼ son .

a parent s siblings classified regardless of sex: -ghúyé maternal aunt or uncle (mother s brother or sister) , -deedééʼ paternal aunt or uncle (father s brother or sister) . these 2 terms reciprocal grandparent/grandchild terms. thus, -ghúyé refers 1 s opposite-sex sibling s son or daughter (that is, person call maternal aunt -ghúyé , aunt call them -ghúyé in return).