Kinship systems 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).

jicarilla

unlike chiricahua system, jicarilla have 2 terms grandparents according sex: -chóó grandmother , -tsóyéé grandfather . not have separate terms maternal or paternal grandparents. terms used of grandparent s siblings according sex. thus, -chóó refers 1 s grandmother or 1 s grand-aunt (either maternal or paternal); -tsóyéé refers 1 s grandfather or 1 s grand-uncle. these terms not reciprocal. there single word grandchild (regardless of sex): -tsóyí̱í̱.

there 2 terms each parent. these terms refer parent s same-sex sibling: -ʼnííh mother or maternal aunt (mother s sister) , -kaʼéé father or paternal uncle (father s brother) . additionally, there 2 terms parent s opposite-sex sibling depending on sex: -daʼá̱á̱ maternal uncle (mother s brother) , -béjéé paternal aunt (father s sister).

two terms used same-sex , opposite-sex siblings. these terms used parallel-cousins: -kʼisé same-sex sibling or same-sex parallel cousin (i.e. same-sex father s brother s child or mother s sister s child) , -´-láh opposite-sex sibling or opposite parallel cousin (i.e. opposite-sex father s brother s child or mother s sister s child) . these 2 terms can used cross-cousins. there 3 sibling terms based on age relative speaker: -ndádéé older sister , -´-naʼá̱á̱ older brother , -shdá̱zha younger sibling (i.e. younger sister or brother) . additionally, there separate words cross-cousins: -zeedń cross-cousin (either same-sex or opposite-sex of speaker) , -iłnaaʼaash male cross-cousin (only used male speakers).

a parent s child classified same-sex sibling s or same-sex cousin s child: -zhácheʼe daughter, same-sex sibling s daughter, same-sex cousin s daughter , -gheʼ son, same-sex sibling s son, same-sex cousin s son . there different words opposite-sex sibling s child: -daʼá̱á̱ opposite-sex sibling s daughter , -daʼ opposite-sex sibling s son .