Kinship in Tamil entails a strong affinity toward the idea of combined family, where all the family members live together in a single house. The head of the family is usually the grandfather (தாத்தா), whose sons (மகன்கள்) and grandsons (பேரன்கள்) would be living in the same house with their wives and children. When the daughters get married, they move to their husband's house. Therefore all the male members in a family would be living the same house, unless there is need to move out for the reasons of employment, education, etc. Following is the family tree based on kinship terms.
தாத்தா (grand father) | பாட்டி (grandmother) |
அப்பா (father) | அம்மா (mother) |
அண்ணன் (older brother) | அக்கா (older sister) |
தம்பி (younger brother) | தங்கை (younger sister) |
பெரியப்பா (father's older brother) | பெரியம்மா (father's older brother's wife) |
சித்தப்பா (father's younger brother) | சின்னம்மா or சித்தி (father's younger brother's wife) |
மாமா (mother's brother) | மாமி (mother's brother's wife) |
அத்தை (father's sister) | மாமா (father's sister's wife) |
மாமனார் (father-in-law) | மாமியார் (mother-in-law) |
மாமா (vocative term for father-in-law) | மாமி or அத்தை vocative term for mother-in-law) |
மருமகன் (son-in-law) | மருமகள் (daughter-in-law) |
கொழுந்தனார் (husband's brother) | கொழுந்தியாள் (husband's brother's wife) |
நாத்தனார் or நாத்தி (husband's sister) |
சகலர் or சகலை (wife's sister's husband) |
அத்தான் (vocative term for husband) also cross cousins |