Relationships in Tamils

Relationships in Tamils

Father - Thanthai

Mother - Thaai

Grandfather - Paattan

Grandmother - Paati

Maternal Grandmother - Ammayee

Paternal Grandmother - Appayee

Great Grandfather - Poottan

Great Grandmother - Pootti

Great Great Grandfather - Ottan

Great Great Grandmother - Otti

Great Great Great Grandfather - Seyon

Great Great Great Grandmother - Seyol

Great Great Great Great Grandfather - Paran

Great Great Great Great Grandmother - Parai

Son - Magan

Daughter - Magal

Grandson - Peyaran

Grandaughter - Peyarti

Great Grandson - Kollu Peyaran

Great Granddaughter - Kollu Peyarti

Great Great Grandson - Ellu Peyaran

Great Great Grandaughter - Ellu Peyarti

Brother - Sagothar

Sister - Sagothari

Elder Brother - Annan

Elder Sister - Akka

Younger Brother - Thambi

Younger Sister - Thangachi

Father's Elder Brother - Periappa

Father's Younger Brother - Chithappa

Father's Sister - Athai

Mother's Brother - Maama

Mother's Elder Sister - Periamma

Mother's Younger Sister - Chinnamma

Athai's Son - Attan

Athai's Daughter - Athachi

Parallel Cousins - Panggali

Cross Cousin - Muraipasangga

Husband - Kanavan

Wife - Manaivi

Annan's Wife, Wife's Akka - Anni

Thambi's Wife, Wife's Thangachi - Kolunthiya

Husband's Brother - Kolunthanar

Brother in-law - Machan

Wife's Sister's Husband - Sagalai (Annan/Thambi)

Husband's Brother's Wife - Orupadi (Akka/Thangachi)

Machan's Son, Brother's Son (Female), Son-in-law - Marumagan

Machan's Daughter, Sister's Daughter (Male), Daughter-in-law - Marumagal

My wife’s younger sister becomes my Kolunthiya. I can call my Kolunthiya’s husband as Thambi. Our relationship is also known as Sagalai, brothers through marriage as our wives are sisters. Sagalais and their children become Panggalis. This is equivalent to siblings.

The kinship of the Tamils was created to ensure that there is a proper system to define family relationships. It was also created to avoid incest among the people.

The choice of words in Tamil kinship may vary depending on the region or clan a person originated from. But the family relationship in general, is the same for all Tamils.

The earliest ancestor 7 generation ago is known as Paran (male) and Parai (female). This is how the term Paramparai (பரம்பரை) is born for the Tamil family tree. The Tamil word for tradition, Parampariyam (பாரம்பரியம்), is taken from Paramparai Niyayam . 

So our ancestors are not only the founders of our family tree but also the pioneers of our tradition.

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