Kinship Terms

After I reviewed the kinship terms diagram completed by Cp, I found the terms very interesting. I found that the terms bore little resemblance to their English counterparts. I noticed that when addressing an elder; the term Gi is added (spoken) after the kinship term. This signifies respect.

PATERNAL:
Grandfather: Dadhi
Grandmother: Dadha
Aunt: Bua
Younger Uncle: Chacha
Older Uncle: Taya
Father: Pitha

MATERNAL:
Grandfather: Naani
Grandmother: Naana
Aunt: Masi
Uncle: Mamoo
Mother: Matha

Brother: Bhai
Sister: Bahain

When I asked about the terms for cousin, I was told that there really is no term for cousin. I asked Cp why there is no term, I was told because family is valued differently in Punjabi culture. There is no concept of subfamilies such as we see in America; in the Panjabi culture, every member of the extended family is considered part of one unit. I asked Cp what term is used when referring to a cousin- she told me that the same terms as brother and sister are used. I found that very interesting. I also found how the paternal side distinguishes between younger uncle and older uncle to be very interesting. When looking at the mother kinship terms, the sounds and structure of the words are all very similar; while the terms regarding the father’s side of the family sound dissimilar. Overall I found that this assignment afforded me some insight on the Punjabi language and culture, and I will continue to learn more with more assignments.