Monday, February 18, 2013

Binamu (Cousins)

Binamu (Cousin / Cousins)
For clarification, the German translation is used for the more distant cousinly terminologies since the official Swahili forms follow the German pattern of consanguinity. The English terms are abbreviated with a code. For example: 1Cousin-1 = First cousin once removed, 2Cousin-3 = Second cousin thrice removed, 3Cousin-4 = Third cousin four times removed, and so on and so forth. When translating from English and the exact relation is not known, one can use a more-direct form of translation (e.g.: First cousin twice removed > binamu wa kwanza wa kuondolewa mara mbili) Otherwise, it could turn out as either mjomba-mkubwa wa mbili or mpwa-mjukuu wa mbili. However, since in Swahili, familial terms usually extends across one single generation, it is best to use the chart above. The terms are in their most abbreviated forms, and for full clarification can be lengthened with hatua level/degree, such as: mpwa-kitukuu wa tano could also be written as mpwa-kitukuu wa hatua wa tano or mpwa-kitukuu wa hatua tano, and by the English system as binamu wa tano wa kuondolewa mara mbili fifth cousin twice removed. Also note that this chart features only the mother's side of the family, which is why mjomba uncle and mbiomba aunt are the terms used.)

Baba Father
Babu Grandfather
Babu-mkuu Great-grandfather
Babu-mkuu-mkuu Great-great-grandfather
Binamu wa kwanza First cousin
Binamu wa mbili Second cousin
Binamu wa nne Third cousin
Binti Daughter
Dada Sister
Kaka Brother
Kilembwe Great-great-great-grandchild
Kilembwekeza Great-great-great-great-grandchild
Kinying'inya Great-great-grandchild
Kitojo Great-great-great-great-great-grandchild
Kitukuu Great-grandchild
Mama Mother
Mbiomba Aunt (maternal)
Mjomba Uncle (generic & maternal)
Mjomba wa mbili Onkel 2. Grades (1Cousin-1)
Mjomba wa nne Onkel 4. Grades (3Cousin-1)
Mjomba wa tatu Onkel 3. Grades (2Cousin-1)
Mjomba-mkubwa Granduncle
Mjomba-mkubwa wa mbili Großonkel 2. Grades (1Cousin-2)
Mjomba-mkubwa wa tatu Großonkel 3. Grades (2Cousin-2)
Mjomba-mkubwa-mkuu Great-granduncle
Mjomba-mkubwa-mkuu wa mbili Urgroßonkel 2. Grades (1Cousin-3)
Mjomba-mkubwa-mkuu-mkuu Great-great-granduncle
Mjomba-mkubwa-mkuu-mkuu-mkuu Great-great-great-granduncle
Mjukuu Grandchild
Mpwa Nephew / Niece
Mpwa wa mbili Neffe 2. Grades (1Cousin-1)
Mpwa wa nne Neffe 4. Grades (3Cousin-1)
Mpwa wa tatu Neffe 3. Grades (2Cousin-1)
Mpwa-kilembwe Great-great-great-grandnephew
Mpwa-kilembwe wa mbili Ur-Ur-Urgroßneffe 2. Grades (1Cousin-5)
Mpwa-kilembwe wa nne Ur-Ur-Urgroßneffe 4. Grades (3Cousin-5)
Mpwa-kilembwe wa tatu Ur-Ur-Urgroßneffe 3. Grades (2Cousin-5)
Mpwa-kilembwekeza Great-great-great-great-grandnephew
Mpwa-kilembwekeza wa mbili Ur-Ur-Ur-Urgroßneffe 2. Grades (1Cousin-6)
Mpwa-kilembwekeza wa nne Ur-Ur-Ur-Urgroßneffe 4. Grades (3Cousin-6)
Mpwa-kilembwekeza wa tatu Ur-Ur-Ur-Urgroßneffe 3. Grades (2Cousin-6)
Mpwa-kinying'inya Great-great-grandnephew
Mpwa-kinying'inya wa mbili Ur-Urgroßneffe 2. Grades (1Cousin-4)
Mpwa-kinying'inya wa nne Ur-Urgroßneffe 4. Grades (3Cousin-4)
Mpwa-kinying'inya wa tatu Ur-Urgroßneffe 3. Grades (2Cousin-4)
Mpwa-kitojo Great-great-great-great-great-grandnephew
Mpwa-kitojo wa mbili Ur-Ur-Ur-Ur-Urgroßneffe 2. Grades (1Cousin-7)
Mpwa-kitojo wa nne Ur-Ur-Ur-Ur-Urgroßneffe 4. Grades (3Cousin-7)
Mpwa-kitojo wa tatu Ur-Ur-Ur-Ur-Urgroßneffe 3. Grades (2Cousin-7)
Mpwa-kitukuu Great-grandnephew
Mpwa-kitukuu wa mbili Urgroßneffe 2. Grades (1Cousin-3)
Mpwa-kitukuu wa nne Urgroßneffe 4. Grades (3Cousin-3)
Mpwa-kitukuu wa tatu Urgroßneffe 3. Grades (2Cousin-3)
Mpwa-mjukuu Grandnephew
Mpwa-mjukuu wa mbili Großneffe 2. Grades (1Cousin-2)
Mpwa-mjukuu wa nne Großneffe 4. Grades (3Cousin-2)
Mpwa-mjukuu wa tatu Großneffe 3. Grades (2Cousin-2)
Mwana Son
Nafsi Self
Nyanya / Bibi Grandmother
Nyanya-mkuu Great-grandmother
Nyanya-mkuu-mkuu Great-great-grandmother

Familia (Family)

Familia (Family)
(Notes: In this family tree, Daudi's relations are written in black, whereas the words for Imani's relation's are written in red. You can find others' relations written in various other colors which relate back to the family member with a circle of the same color situated to the right of their picture.)
Shangazi is a generic term one can use for aunt, when the exact relation is not known. Similarly, mjomba is used for uncle, while shemeji can be used to refer to basically any sibling-in-law, if the exact relation is not known. Shemeji is most approriately used when referring to a relation of the opposite sex through marriage, for example: Imani's husband's brother is her shemeji, because she is a woman, and the sibling-in-law relation is of the opposite sex. Likewise, Daudi's wife's sister is his shemeji, because he is a man and his wife's sister is of the opposite sex. Similarly, mlamu is used when referring to a relation of the same sex. Wifi is a specifically feminine word used for the husband's sister and brother's wife.)

Ami Uncle (paternal)
Ami-mkubwa Granduncle (paternal)
Baba Father
Baba mkwe Father-in-law
Baba wa kambo Stepfather
Babu Grandfather
Babu mkuu Great-grandfather
Babu na bibi Grandparents
Bibi / Nyanya Grandmother
Binamu Cousin (male)
Binti Daughter
Binti mkwe Daughter-in-law
Binti wa kambo Stepdaughter
Bintiamu Cousin (female)
Dada Sister
Dada wa kambo Stepsister
Halati Aunt-in-law (mother's brother's wife)
Halati-mkubwa Grandaunt-in-law (mother's uncle's wife)
Kaka Brother
Kaka wa kambo Stepbrother
Kinying'inya Great-great-grandchild
Kitukuu Great-grandchild
Kivyere wa kike Child's mother-in-law
Kivyere wa kiume Child's father-in-law
Mama Mother
Mama mkwe Mother-in-law
Mama wa kambo Stepmother
Mbiomba Aunt (maternal)
Mbiomba-mkubwa Grandaunt (maternal)
Mhavile Uncle-in-law (Father's sister's husband)
Mhavile-mkubwa Granduncle-in-law (father's aunt's husband)
Mjomba Uncle (maternal & generic term)
Mjomba-mkubwa Granduncle (maternal)
Mjukuu wa kike Granddaughter
Mjukuu wa kiume Grandson
Mke Wife
Mke wa zamani Ex-wife
Mkwe Son-in-law
Mlamu Brother-in-law (sister's husband)
Mlamu Brother-in-law (wife's brother)
Mlamu Sister-in-law (husband's brother's wife)
Mpwa wa kike Niece
Mpwa wa kiume Nephew
Mpwa wa mbili First cousin once removed
Mpwa-mjukuu wa mbili First cousin twice removed
Mume Husband
Mume wa zamani Ex-husband
Mwana Son
Mwana wa kambo Stepson
Mwanyumba Brother-in-law (wife's sister's husband)
Nusu-dada Half-sister
Nusu-kaka Half-brother
Nyanya mkuu Great-grandmother
Shangazi Aunt (paternal)
Shangazi-mkubwa Grandaunt (paternal)
Shemeji Brother-in-law (husband's brother)
Shemeji Brother-in-law (husband's sister's husband)
Shemeji Sister-in-law (wife's brother's wife)
Shemeji Sister-in-law (wife's sister)
Wacheja In-laws
Wajukuu Grandchildren
Watoto Children
Wifi Sister-in-law (brother's wife)
Wifi Sister-in-law (husband's sister)