ETHNOGRAPHIC TERMS DENOTING KINSHIP

Abstract

In modern Uzbek and Uyghur languages, kinship terms can be categorized into three main groups based on their origin and meaning:

I. Blood-related Kinship Terms

This category includes terms that denote direct blood relations in Uzbek, Uyghur, and other Turkic languages, such as ona (mother), ota (father), aka (older brother), tog‘a (maternal uncle), xola (maternal aunt), buva (bobo) (grandfather), buvi (grandmother), amma (paternal aunt), and nabira (grandchild).

II. Kinship Terms Formed After Marriage

These terms appear after marriage and include words like er (husband), xotin (wife), kuyov (son-in-law), kelin (bride/daughter-in-law), pochcha (sister’s husband), boja (co-brother-in-law), ovsin (co-sister-in-law), qayin ona (mother-in-law), qayin ota (father-in-law), quda xola (co-mother-in-law), quda buva (co-grandfather-in-law), o‘gay ota (stepfather), o‘gay ona (stepmother), and o‘gay bola (stepchild).

III. Terms of Close Relations

This group, specific to Uzbek and Uyghur languages, differs entirely from the first two categories. It consists of terms that incorporate the word tutingan (adopted/fictive kinship), such as tutingan ota (adopted father), tutingan ona (adopted mother), tutingan o‘g‘il (adopted son).