BURUNDIAN (KIRUNDI) KINSHIP TERMINOLOGY

INVENTORY OF KIRUNDI KINSHIP TERMS

1.     Consanguineal kinship terms

a.     Ascending generations

1° Table1: The first ascending generation

Term	English equivalent		Descriptive term
Dātá or dāwé	My father
Só	Your father
Sé	His father
Māmá or māwé	My mother
Nyoko	Your mother
Nyina	His/her mother
Dātáwǎcu	My patrilineal uncle		My father ‘s brother
Só wǎnyu	Your patrilineal uncle		Your father ‘s brother
Séwǎbo	His/her patrilineal uncle		His/her father ‘s brother
Sēngé	My patrilineal aunt		My father’s sister
Nyogósēngé	Your patrilineal aunt		Your father’s sister
Inasēngé	His/her patrilineal aunt		His/her father’s sister
Mārúme	My matrilineal uncle		My mother’s brother
Nyokórome	Your matrilineal uncle		Your mother’s brother
Inárume	His/her matrilineal uncle		His/her mother’s brother
Māmáwǎcu	My matrilineal aunt		My mother’s sister
Nyokwǎnyu	Your matrilineal aunt		Your mother’s sister
Nyinǎbo	His/her matrilineal aunt		His/her mother’s sister
Mukâdāwé	My stepmother		My father’s wife
Mukâsó	Your stepmother		Your father’s wife
Mukâsé		His/her stepmother		His/her father’s wife

  

  

2° Table 2: The second ascending generation

Term	English equivalent	Descriptive term
Sogókuru	My grandfather	My father’s father
Sogókuru or sōkúru wâwe	Your grandfather	Your father’s father
Sĕkuru	His/her grandfather	His/her father’s father
Nyogókuru	My grandmother	My father’s mother
Nyogókuru or nyōkúru  wâwe	Your grandmother	Your father’s mother
Inákuru	His/her grandmother	His/her father’s mother

b.     Table 3: Horizontal generation

Kirundi term	English equivalent	Descriptive term
Mukúrwānje	My elder brother (ego is male)
Mukúrwānje	My elder sister (ego is female)
Mukúrwāwe	Your elder brother (ego is male)
Mukúrwāwe	Your elder sister (ego is female)
Mukúruwé	His elder brother
Mukúruwé	Her elder sister
Murúmunānje	My younger brother (ego is male)
Murúmunānje	My younger sister (ego is female)
Murúmunāwe	Your younger brother (ego is male)
Murúmunāwe	Your younger sister (ego is female)
Murúmunawé	His younger brother
Murúmunawé	Her younger sister
Musâzānje	My brother (ego is female)
Musâzāwe	Your brother (ego is female)
Musâzawé	Her brother
Mushíkānje	My sister (ego is male)
Mushíkāwe	Your sister (ego is male)
Mushíkiwé	His sister
Mwĕnewâcu	My brother (ego is male)
Mwĕnewâcu	My sister (ego is female)
Mwĕnewânyu	Your brother (ego is male)
Mwĕnewânyu	Your sister (ego is female)
Mwĕnewâbo	His brother
Mwĕnewâbo	Her sister
Mwĕnewâcu	My parallel cousin	My father’s brother’s son
Mĕnewânyu	Your parallel cousin	Your father’s brother’s son
Mushíkǎcu	My parallel cousin (ego is male)	His/her father’s brother’s son
Mushíkǎnyu	Your parallel cousin (ego is male)	Your father’s brother’s daughter
Mushíkǎbo	His parallel cousin (ego is male)	His father’s brother’s daughter
Mushíkǎcu	My parallel cousin (ego is male)	His mother’s sister’s daughter
Musâzǎcu	My parallel cousin (ego is female)	My father’s brother’s son
Musâzǎnyu	Your parallel cousin(ego is female)	Your father’s brother’s son
Musâzǎbo	Her  parallel cousin(ego is female)	Her father’s brother’s son
Muvyârānje	My cross cousin	My father’s sister’s child or my mother’s brother’s child
Muvyârāwe	Your  cross cousin	Your father’s sister’s child or mother’s brother’s child
Muvyârāwe	His/her cross cousin	His/her father’s sister’s child or mother’s brother’s child

c.      The generations of children

1° Table 4: The first descending generation

Kirundi term	English equivalent	Descriptive term
Umuhŭngwānje	My son
Umuhŭngwāwe	Your son
Umukǒbwānje	My daughter
Umukǒbwāwe	Your daughter
Umuhŭngwǎcu	My nephew	My brother’s son (ego is male)
Umuhŭngwǎnyu	Your nephew	Your brother’s son (ego is male)
Umuhŭngwǎbo	His nephew	His brother’s son
Umuhŭngwǎcu	My nephew	My sister’s son (ego is female)
Umuhŭngwǎnyu	Your  nephew	Your sister’s son (ego is female)
Umuhŭngwǎbo	Her nephew	Her sister’s son (ego is female)
Umuhŭngwǎcu	My potential son	My cousin’s son
Umuhŭngwǎnyu	Your potential son	Your cousin’s son
Umuhŭngwǎbo	His/Her potential son	His/her cousin’s son
Umukǒbwǎcu	My niece	My brother’s daughter (ego male)
Umukǒbwǎnyu	Your niece	Your brother’s daughter’s (ego male)
Umukǒbwǎbo	His niece	His brother’s daughter
Umukǒbwǎcu	My niece	My sister’s daughter (ego is female)
Umukǒbwǎnyu	Your niece	Your sister’s daughter (ego is female)
Umukǒbwǎbo	Her niece	Her sister’s daughter
Umukǒbwānje	My potential daughter	My cousin’s daughter
Umukǒbwǎnyu	Your potential daughter	Your cousin’s daughter
Umukǒbwǎbo	His/her potential daughter	His/her cousin’s daughter
Umusêngezana	Niece or nephew	Brother’s child(ego is female)
Mwîshwānje	My niece or nephew	My sister’s child(ego is male)
Mwîshwāwe	Your niece or nephew	Your sister’s child(ego is male)
Mwîshwawé	His niece or nephew	His sister’s child

2° Table 5: The second and third 9descending generation

Kirundi term	English equivalent	Descriptive term
Umwŭzukuru	Grand-child	Son or daugther’s child
Umwŭzukuruza	Post-grand-child	Son or daugther’s child’s child
Iconîkí or urumyīramyīra	Post-post-grandchild	Son or daugther’s child ‘s child’s child

A display of consanguineal terms

Number	Consanguineal term	Symbol  (ego = man speaking)
1	Sogókuruza	Fa’s Fa’s Fa
2	Nyogókuruza	Fa’s Fa’s Mo
3	Nyogókuru	Fa’s Mo
4	Sogókuru	Fa’s Fa
5	Nyogókuru	Mo’s Mo
6	Sogókuru	Mo’s Fa
7	Sēngé	Fa’s Si
8	Dātáwăcu	Fa’s Bro
9	Dātá	Ego’s Fa
10	Māmá	Ego’s Mo
11	Mārúme	Mo’s Bro
12	Māmáwăcu	Mo’s Si
13	Mwĕnewâcu	Fa’s Bro’s So
14	Mushíkăcu	Fa’s Bro’s Da
15	Muvyârānje	Fa’s Si’s So
16	Muvyârānje	Fa’s Si’s Da
17	Mukúrwānje, murúmunānje	Ego’s Bro (s), Ego’s Bro (J)
18	Mushíkānje	Ego’s Si
19	Umugóre wânje (umugórānje)	Ego’s Wi
20	Muvyârānje	Mo’s Bro’s So
21	Muvyârānje	Mo’s Bro’s Da
22	Umuhǔngwānje	Ego ‘s So
23	Umukǒbwānje	Ego’s Da
24	Umwǔzukuru	So’s So
25	Umwǔzukuru	So’s Da
26	Umwǔzukuru	Si’s So
27	Umwǔzukuru	Si’s Da
28	Umwǔzukuruza	So’s So’s So’So
29	Umwǔzukuruza	So’s So’s So’ Da

2.     Affinal kinship terms

a.     Table 7: Generation of parents

Kirundi term	English equivalent	Descriptive term
Dātabukwé	My father-in-law	My wife’s father
Dātabukwé	My father-in-law	My husband’s father
Sōbukwé	Your father-in-law	Your wife’s father
Sōbukwé	Your father-in-law	Your husband’s father
Sēbukwé	His father-in-law	His wife’s father
Sēbukwé	Her father-in-law	Her husband’s father
Mābukwé	My mother-in-law	My wife’s mother
Mābukwé	My mother-in-law	My husband’s mother
Nyokóbukwé	Your mother-in-law	Your wife’s mother
Nyokóbukwé	Your mother-in-law	Your husband’s mother
Inábukwé	His mother-in-law	His wife’s mother
Inábukwé	His mother-in-law	Her husband’s mother

b. Table 8: Generation of fraternals

Kirundi Terms	English equivalent	Descriptive term
Umugabo	Husband
Umugoré	Wife
Umugabwânje	My husband
Umugabwâwe	Your husband
Umugabwâcu	Our husband
Umugabwânyu	Your husband
Umugabwâbo	Their husband
Umugorânje	My wife
Umugorâwe	Your wife
Murámwānje	My brother-in-law	My wife’s brother
Murámwānje	My sister-in-law	My wife’s sister
Murámwānje	My brother-in-law	My husband’s brother
Murámwāwe	Your brother-in- law	Your wife’s brother
Murámwāwe	Your sister-in-law	Your wife’s sister
Murámwāwe	Your brother -in-law	Your husband’s brother
Murámuwé	His brother -in-law	His wife’s brother
Murámuwé	His sister-in-law	His wife’s sister
Murámuwé	Her brother -in-law	Her husband’s brother
Murámukazānje	My sister-in-law	My husband’s sister
Murámukazānje	My sister-in-law(ego is female)	My brother’s wife’s sister (ego is female)
Murámukazānje	My sister-in-law(ego is female)	My brother’s wife (ego is female)
Murámukazāwe	Your sister-in-law(ego is female)	Your brother’s wife (ego is female)
Murámukazāwe	Your sister-in-law(ego is female)	Your brother’s wife’s sister (ego is female)
Murámukazāwe	Your sister-in-law	Your husband’s sister
Murámukaziwé	Her sister-in-law	Her brother’s wife’s sister
Murámukaziwé	Her  sister-in-law	Her husband’s sister
Mukēbânje	My cospouse	My husband’s wife
Mukēbâwe	Your cospouse	Your husband’s wife
Mukēbânyu	Your cospouse	Your husband’s wife (many cospouses)
Mugēnzānje	My cospouse	My husband’s wife
Mugēnzāwe	Your cospouse	Your husband’s wife
Mugēnziwé	Her cospouse	Her husband’s wife
Bêndahámwe		My wife’s sister’s husband
Bāmwāna		My child’s wife’s parents or husband
Bācâmbu		My child’s wife’s parents or busband

d.     Table 9: Generation of children

Kirundi term	English equivalent	Descriptive term
Umukwé	Son-in-law	Daughter’s husband
Umukazâna	Daughter- in-law	Son’s wife

Affinal terms (ego = man speaking)

    

number	Affinal term	Symbol (ego = man speaking)
1	Dātabukwé	Wi’s Fa
2	Mābukwé	Wi’s Mo
3	Bêndahámwe	Wi’s Si’s Hu
4	Murámwānje	Wi’s Si
5	Murámwānje	Wi’s Bro
6	Umugoré wânje Umugorânje	Wi
7	Umukazâna	So’s Wi
8	Umukwé	Da’s Hu