Arts & Culture
Kinship Terminologies Across Cultures and Their Influence on Family Obligations
Quick fact
In the Crow and Omaha kinship systems, relatives on the father's and mother's sides are classified differently, so that a father's brother and a mother's brother are called by different terms, reflecting distinct social roles and obligations.
Why this is interesting
You probably think 'uncle' means just one thing—but in some cultures, your mother's brother and your father's brother have entirely different names, and they owe you different things. Why would that be?