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 |