A comparative Study of Kinship Terms In Punjabi and Saraiki
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Date
2012
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UMT Lahore
Abstract
The terms of address used for different relatives are called kinship terms. These are the names assigned to different kin, e.g., father, mother, brother, sister, aunt, grandmother etc. These terms provide us information regarding bond of relationship which is existing between different individuals. These terms also determine the rights and limitations of individuals in a society. These terms are of great significance in the study of a culture because these terms provide such information as with whom one can or can’t be frank, to whom one can or can’t marry or from whom one can expect to get help in the hour of need.
Kinship system is part of kinship vocabulary of a culture and this system is universal to all the languages of the world. Different societies use different terms for their relatives. “Wife” in English is “Bivi” in Urdu, “Budhi” in Punjabi and “Pai” in Saraiki. Apart from these labeling differences some languages group relatives into entirely different categories. For example, in Dani language “ami” is used for mother’s brother but the term “Opaije” is used for father as well as for father’s brother. This linguistic difference shows the cultural value and status of individuals in any culture.