Jeti ata (also Jety-ata Zhety-ata Zheti-ata, ) is a tradition among the Kazakhs, Kyrgyzs, and Bashkirs (), in which one is obligated to know or recite the names of at least seven direct blood ancestors such as father, grandfather, great grandfather and great-great-grandfather etc.Historical Dictionary of Kazakhstan, By Ustina Markus, Didar Kassymova, Zhanat Kundakbayeva, 2012 This process often has been taught for generations from childhood by parents.
The main reason for knowing their seven ancestors is that among Kazakhs, marriage within seven generations is prohibited, so for a marriage to be licit, the ancestors of the male and female sides must be above the seven ancestors on both father and mother lineages. In the oral tradition of Kazakhs, it is believed that the newborn child will be wise, healthy mentally, and physically strong under the "Jety-Ata" rule.
The second reason is that this tradition is regarded as a helpful means to know and remember the historical background of each Kazakh and their tribes in the past. This called shejire or shezhire by Kazakhs, and through this system, most of the Kazakhs know their origin and their relations with other tribes within the clan-tribal system of Kazakhs. Each set of seven generations is considered a minimum unit clan in Kazakhs
Terminology Kazakhs The naming method is as follows which starts from the grandson and then descends to the further generations:Kazakh National Encyclopedia
Nemere - grandchild Shobere - great grandchild Shopshek - great-great-grandchild Nemene - 4th generations Jurezhat - 5th generations Tuazhat - 6th generations Juargat - 7th generations Jegzhat - 8th generations
Жеті ата - 7th ancestry Түп ата - 6th ancestry Тек ата - great-great-great-grandfather Баба - great-great-grandfather Арғы ата - great grandfather Ата - grandfather Әке - father
Жеті әже - 7th ancestry Түп әже - 6th ancestry Тек әже - great-great-great-grandmother Баба әже - great-great-grandmother Арғы әже - great grandmother Әже - grandmother Ана, шеше - mother
Other ethnicities
Bashkirs Бала - дитя, ребенок. Балам - (мое) дитя, (мой) ребенок Ейән, ейәнсәр — внук, внучка Бүлә, бүләсәр — правнук, правнучка Тыуа, тыуасар — праправнук, праправнучка Тыуаят — прапраправнук, прапраправнучка Һаратан — прапрапраправнук, прапрапраправнучка Етеят — прапрапрапраправнук, прапрапрапраправнучка Туңаяҡ — прапрапрапрапраправнук, прапрапрапрапраправнучкаkitaptar.bashkort.org/files/Тел%20хикмәттәре.doc
Kyrgyz“Кыргызстан”. Улуттук энциклопедия: 3-том. Башкы ред. Асанов Ү. А., Б.: Мамлекеттик тил жана энциклопедия борбору, 2011. (ancestors) Ата — father Чоң ата — grandfather Баба — great grandfather Буба — great-great-grandfather Кубар — great-great-great-grandfather Жото — great-great-great-great-grandfather Жете — great-great-great-great-great-grandfather
Kyrgyz (descendants) Бала — child Небере — grandchild Чөбөрө — great grandchild Кыбыра — great-great-grandchild Тыбыра — great-great-great-grandchild Чүрпө — great-great-great-great-grandchild Урпак — great-great-great-great-great-grandchild
See also Seven generation sustainability External links Historical Dictionary of Kazakhstan on the Google online books The Jety-Ata tradition of Kazakhs in Kazakh language The Shezhire: Kazakh Family Tree
References