# All Slavic languages: Kinship



## Maja

I was answering thread named "marriage relations", and I saw that Russians have similar names for relatives to does that we have in Serbian and I was wondering if that is the case with other Slavic languages?

Thank you all in  advance!


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## Maja

Lets start with Serbian. Our language is very rich when it comes to family relations. It has a different name for almost every member of the family, including in-laws.Here it is:

majka (мајка) - mother
otac (отац) - father
ćerka (ћерка) *-* daughter  
sin (син) - son 
unuka (унука) - grand-daughter  
unuk (унук) -  grand-son

brat (брат) - brother
sestra (сестра) - sister
deda (деда) - grandfather
baba (баба) - grandmother
tetka (тетка) - mother's / father's sister
teča  (теча) - husband of  father's/mother's sister 
ujak (ујак) - mother's brother 
ujna (ујна) - wife of mother's brother
stric (стриц) - father's brother 
strina (стрина) - wife of father's brother

In-lows:
zet (зет) - daughter's / sister's  husband  
snaja or snaha (снаја/снаха)- son's / brother's wife  
prijatelj (пријатељ) - father of  child's spouse
prija (прија) - mother of child's  spouse

svekar (свекар) - husband's father 
svekrva (свекрва) - husband's   mother  
 dever (девер) - husband' s brother
  jetrva (јетрва) - wife of husband's brother 
  zaova (заова) - husband' s sister 

tast (таст)  - wife's father 
 tašta (ташта) - wife's  mother  
šurak (шурак) - wife's brother
šurnjaja (шурњаја) - wife of wife's brother
svastika (свастика) - wife's  sister
pašenog (пашеног) - husband of wife's sister
etc.


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## Insider

Huh...you know, there are some similarities between Ukrainian and Serbian languages, as I see. I'll try to write in Ukrainian a "family branch".

мама [mama] - mother
тато  [tato] - father
син   [syn] - son
дочка  [dochka] - daughter
внук  [vnyk] - grand-son
внучка [vnychka] - grand-daughter

брат  [brat] - brother
сестра  [sestra] - sister
дідо  [dido] - grandfather
баба  [baba] - grandmother
вуй(ко)  [vuj(ko)] -mother's brother
вуйна  [vujna] - wife of mother's brother
стрий  [stryj] - father's brother
стрийна  [stryjna] - wife of father's brother


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## Jana337

matka - mother
    otec - father
    dcera) - daughter
syn - son 
   vnučka - grand-daughter  
vnuk -  grand-son

    bratr - brother
    sestra - sister
    dědeček, děda - grandfather
    babička - grandmother
teta - mother's / father's sister
    strýc - husband of  father's/mother's sister 
    strýc - mother's brother 
    teta - wife of mother's brother
    strýc - father's brother 
    teta - wife of father's brother

    In-laws:
    zeť - daughter's husband
švagr - sister's  husband  
snacha - son's wife  
švagrová - brother's wife
 N/A - father of  child's spouse
N/A - mother of child's  spouse

tchán - husband's father 
    tchýně - husband's   mother  
   švagr - husband' s brother
švagrová - wife of husband's brother 
švagrová - husband' s sister 

tchán - wife's father 
  tchyně - wife's  mother  
    švagr - wife's brother
    švagrová - wife of wife's brother
    švagrová - wife's  sister
    švagr - husband of wife's sister
    etc. 

Oh my, it is so complicated in Serbian!  Czech is very economical.

Jana


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## übermönch

The czech word for brother sound much like the words for it in other indoeuropean languages (frater, bruder). Interessting if it was like that in protoslavic. Russian words are indeed similar, but i can't recall any complicated relation words. They're very archaic, but they do exist.


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## Thomas1

Jana337 said:
			
		

> N/A - father of child's spouse
> N/A - mother of child's spouse


Don't they = 


> tchán - husband's father
> tchýně - husband's mother
> [...]
> tchán - wife's father
> tchyně - wife's mother


?
And btw is there any difference in spelling between husband's and wife's mother or it's just a tiny typo (tchýně vs, tchyně), please?


> Oh my, it is so complicated in Serbian!  Czech is very economical.


Indeed, I think I'd wind up guessing who's who.  Polish is very much alike Czech in this respect, it's much simpler than in Serbian. 
matka (mama) - mother
ojciec (tata) - father
córka - daughter 
syn - son 
wnuczka - grand-daughter 
wnuk - grand-son
brat - brother
siostra - sister
dziadek - grandfather
babka (babcia) - grandmother
ciotka (ciocia) - mother's / father's sister
wuj (wujek) - husband of father's/mother's sister 
wuj - mother's brother 
ciotka - wife of mother's brother
stryj* - father's brother 
stryjenka* - wife of father's brother
*in practice no one uses them nowadys, we use wuj, ciotka respectively
In-lows:
zięć - daughter's husband 
szwagier - sister's husband 
synowa- son's wife 
szwagierka - brother's wife
teść - father of child's spouse
teściowa - mother of child's spouse
teść - husband's father 
teściowa - husband's mother 
szwagier - husband' s brother
szwagierka - wife of husband's brother 
szwagierka - husband' s sister 
teść - wife's father 
teściowa - wife's mother 
szwagier - wife's brother
szwagierka - wife of wife's brother
szwagierka - wife's sister
szwagier - husband of wife's sister
As for teść/teściowa these words are rather formal and the couple usually use tata/mama respectively.


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## Jana337

Thomas said:
			
		

> Jana said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> N/A - father of child's spouse
> N/A - mother of child's spouse
> 
> 
> 
> Don't they =
> 
> 
> 
> Jana said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> tchán - husband's father
> tchýně - husband's mother
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...

I don't think so. The latter group is from the viewpoint of the young couple, the former one from the viewpoint of the parents. We do not have a word that captures the relationship between his parents and her parents. I hope I understood Maja correctly. 

Tchýně is correct, the other word has a typo. 

Jana


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## cajzl

The Czech form *bratr *with *r* came from Protoslavic.

Missing:

*synovec* - brother's/sister's son
*neť (neteř)* - brother's/sister's daughter

we sometimes use *ujec *beside* strýc*


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## werrr

cajzl said:
			
		

> *synovec* - brother's/sister's son
> *neť (neteř)* - brother's/sister's daughter


I think also

*synovec* - son of spouse's sibling
*neť (neteř)* - daughter of spouse's sibling


> we sometimes use *ujec *beside* strýc*


Only from mother's branch of family, correct?

Cousins are missing also. In Czech (by using previous definitions because of increasing number of possible combinations):

*sestřenice*  - parent's "neteř" (=niece)
*bratranec* - parent's "synovec" (=nephew)


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## janek

There is another word in Polish for husband's mother, almost obsolete now, but still used in some families (in mine, for example): *świekra. *This is also quite formal.
We also have:
bratowa = brother's wife
kuzyn = cousin (m)
kuzynka = cousin (f)
krewny/krewna = a blood-relative (m/f)
powinowaty/powinowata= a non-blood relative (like our sister's husband's mother) (m/f)


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## skye

mama  - mother 
oče - father 
hčerka/hči *-* daughter 
sin - son 
vnukinja - grand-daughter 
vnuk - grand-son

brat - brother
sestra - sister
dedek - grandfather 
babica - grandmother
teta - aunt 
stric - uncle 

In-laws:
zet - daughter's husband 
snaha - son's wife 

tast - husband's or wife's father 
tašča - husband's or wife's mother 
svak - husband's or wife's brother or sister's husband
svakinja - husband's or wife's sister or brother's wife

Words like ujec, ujna and strina also existed in Slovenian at some point, but they are not used anymore.


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## cajzl

> I think also
> *synovec* - son of spouse's sibling
> *neť (neteř)* - daughter of spouse's sibling


 
No, I think it is not defined, but you can call them as you want.

It seems that the Czech and Slovenian approaches are very similar (I believe cousin/nephew/niece also exist in Slovenian).


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## cajzl

Nothing is perfect.

_Husband of husband's sister_ is missing in the Serbian list.  

Also the Serbian term _svastika_ is very strange.


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## Maja

cajzl said:
			
		

> _Husband of husband's sister_ is missing in the Serbian list.  .



Yes, because I couldn't find the right term. Some say it is : zet (зет).



			
				cajzl said:
			
		

> Also the Serbian term _svastika_ is very strange.



Hmm, yes but it is an old word and it has nothing to do with the Nazis! Unless one has bad relations with one's svastika!!!


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## Jana337

Maja said:
			
		

> Hmm, yes but it is an old word and it has nothing to do with the Nazis! Unless one has bad relations with one's svastika!!!


The discussion about svastika was moved here. 

Jana


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## Anatoli

As no-one posted Russian kinship terms, here's my list of most common ones:

 отец – father
  мать – mother
  папа – dad
мама – mum
  родители – parents
отчим – stepfather
  мачеха – stepmother
  тесть (wife’s father), свёкр, свекор (husband’s father) – father–in–law
  тёща (wife’s mother), свекровь (wife’s mother) – mother–in–law
брат – brother
  сестра – sister
  двоюродный брат – cousin
  двоюродная сестра – cousin
  сын – son
дочь – daughter
  дедушка – grandfather
бабушка – grandmother
  муж – husband
жена – wife
  дядя – uncle
  тётя – aunt
  племянник – nephew
  племянница – niece
  ребёнок – child
дети – children
  внук – grandson
внучка – granddaughter
семья – family

some more less frequently used terms (native Russian make mistakes in them!), explanations in Russian:
 зять – муж дочери, муж сестры, муж золовки
  сноха – жена сына
деверь – брат мужа
шурин – брат жены 
золовка – сестра мужа
  свояченица – сестра жены
  свояк – муж свояченицы


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## Maja

Thank you all for your kind replies!
Pozdrav!


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## Thomas1

Jana337 said:
			
		

> I don't think so. The latter group is from the viewpoint of the young couple, the former one from the viewpoint of the parents. We do not have a word that captures the relationship between his parents and her parents. I hope I understood Maja correctly.


This phenomenon has been bugging me since I read your reply and I asked my mom about that, she confirms what you wrote. Teść/teściowa are not used in these relations in Poland. I also looked it up in a dictionary and that's true.  I could hardly believe that since in my family the two mother-in-laws used to call "teściowa" one another. I wonder how it is with other Polish families.


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## cajzl

It is usual to call a person from the viewpoint of someone else.

For example, my sister's husband called his mother-in-law "babička/bába" (= grandma, e.g. "Přišla bába!"). Even my sister called our mother "babička". It was from the viewpoint of their little sons.


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## Maja

Jana337 said:
			
		

> I don't think so. The latter group is from the viewpoint of the young couple, the former one from the viewpoint of the parents. We do not have a word that captures the relationship between his parents and her parents. I hope I understood Maja correctly.
> Jana


Yes. 
In Serbian, I would call my  husband's parents "*svekar/свекар*" ( his father ) and  "*svekrva  /свекрва*" (his mother).
My husband would call my parents  "*tast/таст*" (my father) and "*tašta/ташта*" (my  mother).

But our parents would address each other as " *prijatelji/пријатељи*",  that is, my parents would address my husband's father as  "*prijatelj/пријатељ*" and my husband's mother as  "*prija/прија*" and vice-versa.


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## b_fly

Maja said:
			
		

> Lets start with Serbian. Our language is very rich when it comes to family relations. It has a different name for almost every member of the family, including in-laws.Here it is:
> 
> majka (мајка) - mother
> otac (отац) - father
> ćerka (ћерка) *-* daughter
> sin (син) - son
> unuka (унука) - grand-daughter
> unuk (унук) - grand-son
> 
> brat (брат) - brother
> sestra (сестра) - sister
> deda (деда) - grandfather
> baba (баба) - grandmother
> tetka (тетка) - mother's / father's sister
> teča (теча) - husband of father's/mother's sister
> ujak (ујак) - mother's brother
> ujna (ујна) - wife of mother's brother
> stric (стриц) - father's brother
> strina (стрина) - wife of father's brother
> 
> In-lows:
> zet (зет) - daughter's / sister's husband
> snaja or snaha (снаја/снаха)- son's / brother's wife
> prijatelj (пријатељ) - father of child's spouse
> prija (прија) - mother of child's spouse
> svekar (свекар) - husband's father
> svekrva (свекрва) - husband's mother
> dever (девер) - husband' s brother
> jetrva (јетрва) - wife of husband's brother
> zaova (заова) - husband' s sister
> 
> tast (таст) - wife's father
> tašta (ташта) - wife's mother
> šurak (шурак) - wife's brother
> šurnjaja (шурњаја) - wife of wife's brother
> svastika (свастика) - wife's sister
> pašenog (пашеног) - husband of wife's sister


 
The same is in Croatian; but I'm not shure about all of them.


majka - mother
otac - father
kći *-* daughter 
sin - son 
unuka - grand-daughter 
unuk - grand-son

brat - brother
sestra - sister
djed - grandfather
baka - grandmother
tetka - mother's / father's sister
ujak - mother's brother 
ujna - wife of mother's brother
stric - father's brother 
strina - wife of father's brother

In-lows:
zet - daughter's / sister's husband 
snaha - son's / brother's wife 
prijatelj - father of child's spouse
prija - mother of child's spouse

svekar - husband's father 
svekrva - husband's mother 
djever - husband' s brother

tast - wife's father 

...about the others I don't know


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## venenum

> originaly by b_fly:
> 
> The same is in Croatian; but I'm not shure about all of them.
> 
> 
> majka - mother
> otac - father
> kći *-* daughter
> sin - son
> unuka - grand-daughter
> unuk - grand-son
> 
> brat - brother
> sestra - sister
> djed - grandfather
> baka - grandmother
> tetka - mother's / father's sister
> ujak - mother's brother
> ujna - wife of mother's brother
> stric - father's brother
> strina - wife of father's brother
> 
> In-lows:
> zet - daughter's / sister's husband
> snaha - son's / brother's wife
> prijatelj - father of child's spouse
> prija - mother of child's spouse
> 
> svekar - husband's father
> svekrva - husband's mother
> djever - husband' s brother
> 
> tast - wife's father
> 
> ...about the others I don't know





In addition to this (you have forgotten some family members):

tetak - husband of mother's sister
punac - wife's father
punica - wife's mother

nećak - son of your sibbling/spouse's sibbling
nećaka - daughter of your sibbling/spous'es sibbling

bratić - son of your parent's sibbling
sestrična - daughter of your parent's sibbling

šogor - spouse's brother/sister's husband -> brother in law
šogorica - spouse's sister/brother's wife -> sister in law

There are probably some other expressions for the nuances of the kinship, but they are almost extinct - you can come accross them only in some old books. 
 
 
poison


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## Sophia211

I thought I'd put the Bulgarian ones as well, since no one else did.

м*а*йка - mother
бащ*а* - father
м*а*ма - mom
т*а*тко, т*а*ти/-е – dad
син – son
дъщер*я* – daughter
сестр*а* - sister
брат – brother
б*а*тко – older brother
к*а*ка – older sister
л*е*ля - father's sister, mother's sister
ч*и*чо - uncle *
в*у*йчо – mother’s brother **
в*у*йна – wife of mother’s brother **
св*а*ко – husband of mother’s sister **
стр*и*на, стр*и*нка – wife of father’s brother
внук - grandson
вн*у*чка - granddaughter
братовч*е*д – cousin (male)
братовч*е*дка – cousin (female)
пл*е*менник – nephew
пл*е*менница – niece
съпр*у*г - husband; мъж – man, also husband (colloquial)
съпр*у*га - wife; жена – woman, also wife (colloquial)
снах*а* – son’s wife; brother’s wife
зет – daughter’s husband; sister’s husband
завр*я*н зет - a man who lives in the house of his parents-in-law Jß not sure if this isn’t only used as a joke, since the man is not supposed to live with his wife’s family
св*е*кър – husband’s father
свек*ъ*рва – husband’s mother
тъст – wife’s father
т*ъ*ща – wife’s mother
ет*ъ*рва – wife of husband’s brother
з*ъ*лва – husband’s sister
д*е*вер – husband’s brother
ш*у*рей – wife’s brother
баджан*а*к – husband of wife’s sister
сват – father of child’s spouse
св*а*тя, св*а*та – mother of child’s spouse


сем*е*йство – family
род*и*тели – parents
дет*е* - child
дец*а* – children
вн*у*че - grandchild
вн*у*ци – grandchildren

* not sure exactly what kinds of "uncles" that would include
** not quite sure about these; i got them from our own family's relatives' names

The terms б*а*тко, к*а*ка, ч*и*чо, л*е*ля, б*а*ба, д*я*до are also used by children when addressing any older person, depending on their age. For example, the neighbours' five year old kid would call me "к*а*ка" since I'm only in my 20's. Is this common with any other Slavic languages? Also, are there words for older siblings in any of them?

Thank you!


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## Maja

Sophia211 said:
			
		

> завр*я*н зет -  a man who lives in the house of his parents-in-law Jß not sure if this  isn’t only used as a joke, since the man is not supposed to live with his wife’s  family


 Yeah, we also have the  term "prizetko/призетко" for a man who lives with wife's family, but it can be a  bit offensive.



			
				Sophia211 said:
			
		

> The terms б*а*тко, к*а*ка, ч*и*чо, л*е*ля,  б*а*ба, д*я*до are also used by children when addressing any older person, depending on their age. For example, the neighbours' five year old kid would call me "к*а*ка" since I'm only in my 20's. Is this common with any  other Slavic languages?


 Well in Serbian, children address adult men as "čika/чика" and women as "teta/тета". They can also call old men "deka/дека" and old women "baka/бака" but it is to be avoided since you never know if someone would get offended (especially women )



			
				Sophia211 said:
			
		

> Also, are there words for  older siblings in any of them?


 No, we just say for  brother: "stariji/старији" (older) аnd "mlađi/млађи"; for sister   "starija/старијa" and "mlađa/млађa". 


			
				venenum said:
			
		

> punac - wife's  father
> punica - wife's  mother


 Yeah, I know this  expression !!!



			
				venenum said:
			
		

> šogor - spouse's  brother/sister's husband -> brother in law
> šogorica - spouse's  sister/brother's wife -> sister in law


This, however, I never heard of .


			
				venenum said:
			
		

> nećak - son of your sibbling/spouse's  sibbling
> nećaka - daughter of your  sibbling/spous'es sibbling
> bratić - son of your parent's  sibbling
> sestrična - daughter of  your parent's sibbling


 We use them too:
bratanac/братанац -  brother's son
bratanica/братаница -  brother's daughter
sestrić/сестрић -  sister's son
sestričina/сестричина -  sister's daughter.


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## Maja

Thank you all for your  kind replies. I know the posts were rather long ...  
I have to say that my presumption, which was the reason to start this thread in the first place, have confirmed. A lot of genealogical vocabulary is similar in many of the Slavic languages, so it is safe to say that it must all come from Proto-Slavic.

POZDRAV!


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## Branko1970

Serbs and their ancestors
0. Sin, cerka ... ... ... ...  Children
1. Otac, majka ... ... ... ... Parentss    
3. Pradeda, prababa ... ... .. Great parents
4. Chukundeda, Chukunbaba ... .Next older generation
5. Navrdeda, navrbaba ... .... Next older generation
6. Kurdjel, kurdjela ... ... ... Next older generation
7. Askurdjel, askurdjela ... . Next older generation
8. Kurdjun, kurdjuna ... ... . Next older generation
9. Kurlebalo, kurlebala ... ... Next older generation
10 Sukurdol, sukurdola ... .. Next older generation
11 Sudepach, sudepacha ... Next older generation
12 Pardjupan, pardjupana ... Next older generation
13 Ozhmikura, ozhmikurka ... Next older generation
14 Kurajber, kurajbera ... ... Next older generation
15 Sajkatava, sajkatavka ... Next older generation
16 Beli orao, bela orlica ... .. Next older generation
16 Beli orao, bela orlica ... .. Next older generation


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## dudasd

Maja omitted an important information - that the older variant of "svastika" is *svast* (and the older: svast' ), of the same origin as *svak* (*svojak*). 

Also, I don't expect to see "pašenog" in other Slavic languages, because it's pure Turkish word (_bacanak_).


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## skye

I noticed something interesting in how speakers of my dialect sometimes refer to people outside the immediate family. They hardly use anything but son, daughter, sister, brother, mother and father. Her niece becomes her sister's daughter and even his grandson becomes his son's son.  I see that it usually happens when people are trying to explain some very complicated relations between others and I guess it's just easier to follow the train of thought that way.


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## Mac_Linguist

Maja said:


> Well in Serbian, children address adult men as "čika/чика" and women as "teta/тета". They can also call old men "deka/дека" and old women "baka/бака" but it is to be avoided since you never know if someone would get offended (especially women )



This is also common in Macedonia. Adult men refer to older women as "mother" (_мајко!_).


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