The Serbo-Croatian standard languages (Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian and Montenegrin) have one of the more elaborate kinship () systems among European languages. Terminology may differ from place to place. Most words are common to other Slavic languages, though some derive from Turkish. The standardized languages may recognize slightly different pronunciations or dialectical forms; all terms are considered standard in all language standards, unless otherwise marked: [S] (Serbian), [C] (Croatian), [B] (Bosnian) and [M] (Montenegrin) below.
There are four main types of kinship in the family: biological blood kinship, kinship by law (in-laws), spiritual kinship (such as godparents), and legal kinship through adoption and remarriage. As is common in many rural family structures, three generations of a family will live together in a home in what anthropologists call a joint family structure, where parents, their son(s), and grandchildren would cohabit in a family home.
Direct descendance and ancestry
Words for relations up to five generations removed—great-great-grandparents and great-great-grandchildren—are in common use. The fourth-generation terms are also used as generics for ancestors and descendants. There is no distinction between the maternal and paternal line.
Latin Cyrillic Relation [C] [C] great-great-granddaughter [C] [C] great-great-grandson great-granddaughter, descendant great-grandson, descendant granddaughter grandson daughter son mother mom father [B] [C] [S] [M] [B] [C] [S] [M] dad [B] [B] grandmother [S] [C] [M] [C] [B] [S] [C] [M] [C] [B] grandfather great-grandmother, ancestor [C] [M] [C] [M] great-grandfather, ancestor [C] [C] great-great-grandmother [M] [C] [C] [M] [C] [C] great-great-grandfather*Svetozar Brkić, Živojin Simić (1993) English–Serbian and Serbian–English dictionary [S] [C] [M] [S] [C] [M] female ancestor male ancestor
Own generation
Diminutive forms of siblings are used for cousins.
Latin Cyrillic English translation brother sister [C] [C] male first cousin [C] [C] female first cousin male cousin (always first or second), son of father's brother (or male first cousin) male cousin (always first or second), son of mother's brother (or male first cousin) male cousin (always first or second), son of mother's or father's sister (or female first cousin) female cousin (always first or second), daughter of father's brother (or male first cousin) female cousin (always first or second), daughter of mother's brother (or male first cousin) female cousin (always first or second), daughter of mother's or father's sister (or female first cousin) male cousin, relative [S] [C] [S] [C] female cousin, relative
Indirect ancestry, descendants and legal relations
There are separate terms for maternal and paternal uncles, but not for aunts. In addition, spouses of uncles and aunts have their own terms.
Latin Cyrillic Relation paternal uncle paternal uncle's wife / / maternal uncle / / maternal uncle's wife; i.e. maternal aunt through marriage aunt (only mother's or father's sister or cousin) [S] [S] aunt's husband (where aunt defined as ) fraternal nephew (for women[S], for men and women[C]) fraternal nephew (for men and women) fraternal nephew (for men[S]) fraternal niece nephew niece sororal nephew sororal niece
In-laws There are separate terms for a man's and a woman's parents-in-law. However, the same terms are commonly used for siblings-in-law and children-in-law. There are separate terms for co-siblings-in-law.
Latin Cyrillic Relation English translation husband's father father-in-law husband's mother mother-in-law [C][S] [C] [S] wife's father father-in-law [C][S] [C] [S] wife's mother mother-in-law daughter's or sister's husband son-in-law or brother-in-law [M] [C, S] [M] [C, S] son's or brother's wife daughter-in-law or sister-in-law [C]šogor[C] [C] [C] wife's brother brother-in-law [C] [C] wife's brother's wife sister-in-law [C] [C] wife's sister sister-in-law wife's sister's son nephew-in-law wife's sister's daughter niece-in-law [M] [M] husband's brother brother-in-law husband's brother's wife co-sister-in-law husband's sister sister-in-law husband's sister's husband co-brother-in-law wife's sister's husband co-brother-in-law child's spouse's mother co-mother-in-law child's spouse's father co-father-in-law; note: the same word means (general word)
Step-relatives There are spouses of ancestors that are not blood relatives and their spouse's descendants, the second spouse of a father's or mother's siblings (paternal or maternal step-aunts and step-uncles) and their children. Latin Cyrillic Relation stepfather stepmother stepson stepdaughter half-brother (through only one parent) – half-brother (sharing same father, different mothers) – half-brother (sharing same mother, different fathers) half-sister (through only one parent) – half-sister (sharing same father, different mothers) – half-sister (sharing same mother, different fathers)
Foster relatives Foster relations also have dedicated terms.
Latin Cyrillic Relation adopted son adopted daughter foster father foster mother [S] [S] foster son foster daughter
References
Further reading