Kinship

Affinal Kin

Relatives created through marriage (in-laws).

Consanguineal Kin

Relatives linked by blood or common biology.

Fictive Kin

Individuals treated as family members despite having no biological or legal marriage ties.

Bilateral Kinship

A system tracing descent equally through both the mother’s and father’s sides of the family.

Unilineal Descent

Tracing descent through only one parental lineage (either mother’s or father’s side).

Matrilineal Descent

Tracing descent and inheritance exclusively through the female line (mother's lineage).

Patrilineal Descent

Tracing descent and inheritance exclusively through the male line (father's lineage).

Ambilineal Descent

A system where individuals or families choose to trace descent through either the mother’s or father’s line.

Matrilocal Residence

A post-marital residence pattern where a newly married couple lives with or near the bride’s family.

Patrilocal Residence

A post-marital residence pattern where a newly married couple lives with or near the groom’s family.

Avunculocal Residence

A post-marital residence pattern where a newly married couple lives with or near the groom’s maternal uncle.

Neolocal Residence

A post-marital residence pattern where a newly married couple establishes an independent home away from both sets of parents.

Brideservice

Work performed by a groom for his bride’s family before or after marriage as a form of compensation.

Bridewealth

Goods, money, or livestock given by the groom or his family to the bride’s family to legitimize the marriage.

Dowry

Goods or money transferred from the bride’s family to the new couple or the groom's family upon marriage.

Exogamy

A rule requiring individuals to marry outside of their specific social group, clan, or community.

Endogamy

A rule requiring individuals to marry within a specific social group, caste, religion, or community.

Monogamy

A marriage form uniting only two partners at one time.

Serial Monogamy

A practice where an individual enters a series of monogamous marriages or partnerships over their lifetime.

Polygamy

The practice of having more than one spouse at the same time.

Polygyny

A form of polygamy where one husband is married to multiple wives simultaneously.

Polyandry

A form of polygamy where one wife is married to multiple husbands simultaneously.

Immediate Family

The smallest family unit, typically consisting of parents and their children.

Nuclear Family

A family unit composed of two parents and their immediate biological or adopted children.

Cross Cousins

Cousins related through parents opposite sex sibling.

Parallel Cousins

Cousins related through a parents same sex sibling.

Clans

A named lineage or social group whose members claim descent from a common ancestor.

Ghost Marriage

A legal marriage custom where a living person marries a deceased individual.

Necrogamy

Another term for ghost marriage or marrying a deceased person.