| Kinship | Social relations based on culturally recognized ties by
descent and marriage |
| Consanguinity | Relations that are the result of biology ("blood") |
| Affinity | Relations formed through marriage |
| Cross-Cousins | Children of a parent's sibling of the opposite sex
(MBD or FZD, MBS or FZS) |
| Parallel-Cousins | Children of a parent's sibling of the same sex
(MZD or FBD, MZS or FBS) |
| Descent | Socially recognized links between a person and his or her
ancestors |
| Unilineal Descent | Descent traced through a single line, male or
female |
| Matrilineal Descent | Descent traced through the female line |
| Patrilineal Descent | Descent traced through the male line |
| Bilineal Descent | Descent traced through the male line for some
purposes and the female line for other purposes |
| Ambilineal Descent | Tracing descent in which both male and female lines are recognized; it is up to the individual to choose between them |
| Parallel Descent | Descent traced through the female line only for
women and the male line only for men |
| Cognatic Descent | Descent traced through all ancestors, male and
female |
| Lineage | A group of kin who can trace descent from a common ancestor
or ancestors through known links |
| Clan | A group of kin who believe themselves to be descended from a
common ancestor but cannot specify the actual links back to that ancestor
|
| Phratry | One of three or more social units within a society; normally
composed of several clans |
| Moieties | Two distinct, intermarrying unilineal descent groups dividing a society that perform reciprocal functions for each other |
| Endogamy | A pattern, preference, or requirement that marriage be
within a social group, class, or category |
| Exogamy | A pattern, preference, or requirement that marriage be outside a social group, class, or category |