Family

In this section you will learn about family in Ma'di. Click on a section below to explore

Immediate family

English	Ma'di
Mother	Endre
Father	Ata
Brother	Adrupi
Sister	Anvoti
Husband	Ma ago i
Wife	Ma izi i

Extended family

Suru (Tribe / clan)

In Ma’di culture, family extends far beyond the nuclear unit commonly seen in the Western world. To understand family we need to understand Suru, kaka and goti.

Suru in Ma’di ti is used interchangeably to mean both tribe (e.g. Ma’di, Acholi, Lugbara) and clan (e.g. Pajawu, Paselo, Ukeyi).

Clan refers to a group of people who descend from the same ancestor. For example, Patibi, meaning “the descendants of Tibi.”

Just as surnames are often passed down through the father in many Western cultures, in Ma’di, a child inherits their clan (suru) from their father. However, each person also has connections to three other clans; their mother's clan, maternal gradmothers clan and paternal grandmothers clan.

Example:

Let's take a look at Anzoa:

Her father is from the clan Ukeyi
Her mother is from the clan Puceri
Her paternal grandmother is from the clan Padiga
Her maternal grandmother is from the clan Pageri

Anzoa’s primary clan is Ukeyi, as she inherits her father’s clan. However, she has connections to Puceri, Padiga and Pageri.

Aunties and Uncles

Ma’di has distinct words for aunties and uncles depending on whether they are from the mother’s or father’s side:

Mum’s brother - Adrua
Mum’s sister - Enderi
Dad’s brother - Atari
Dad’s sister - A’u

The word enderi comes from the word for mother which is 'endre' and atari comes from the word for father which is 'ata'

English	Ma'di
Uncle (mothers brother)	Adrua
Aunty (mothers sister)	Enderi
Uncle (fathers brother)	Atari
Uncle (fathers sister)	A’u

Goti (Extended Family)

Goti is the term used for extended family on the father’s side; including siblings, cousins, uncles, and aunts who share the same grandparents.

Everyone from the same clan and with shared grandparents is considered part of the same goti.

Lets look at Anzoa:

Her relatives who share the same grandparents and are also from the Ukeyi clan (i.e. her fathers clan) are considered to be from the same 'goti'

Kaka

Kaka is a broader term used to describe an extended-extended family. This includes people from:

your father’s clan
your mother’s clan
your paternal grandmother’s clan
your maternal grandmother’s clan

Note: Kaka can also include people from different clans who grew up in the same area as one of your parents or grandparents.

Grandparents vocabulary

English	Ma'di
Grandma	Adra
Grandpa	Abi

Difference between Kaka and Suru

The difference between suru (clan) and kaka is:

Suru is inherited by birth and cannot be changed
Kaka is based on lived experience and community ties, and can shift depending on where you grow up

Let's look at Anzoa:

When Anzoa was 4 years old, she moved to live with a family friend from the Patibi clan. She grew up among Patibi people, and 25 years later, still lives with that clan.

Although her suru is Ukeyi, the Patibi people may consider her part of their kaka, because of the deep bonds formed through shared life experiences, not just ancestry.

In-laws

English	Ma'di
Mother-in-law	Ma andrizia i
Father-in-law	Ma andri i
Brother-in-law	Ma lotu i
Sister-in-law	Ma izi anvoti i

Children and offsprings

English	Ma'di
Male siblings	Adrunzi
Female siblings	Anvunzi
My daughter	Ma za i
My son	Ma ngwa i
Children	Ba ciri
Your niece	Nya anvoti a za i Note 'my neice' is 'ma anvoti a za i'
Your nephew	Nya anvoti a ngwa i Note 'my nephew' is 'ma anvoti a ngwa i'