Kinship in Wakhi

Language plays a crucial role in understanding and representing the world in which we live. It's not just about communicating, it's about connecting, recognizing, and respecting cultural richness. One such rich and unique language is Wakhi. It is spoken by the Wakhi people primarily in Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. Today, let's dive into the world of Wakhi language and explore how different kinship terms are articulated in Wakhi.

Let's start with the basic family structure. The word for

father

in Wakhi is

tat, 

and the word for

mother

is

nan. 

Moving on to siblings, the term

brother

is articulated as

vrut

and

sister

is referred to as

x̌ʉy.

Moving further in the family tree,

grandpa

and

grandma

are affectionately called

pup

and

mum

respectively. And how do we address our aunts and uncles in Wakhi? The term for

uncle

is

beč, 

and for

aunt

it’s

voč.

When it comes to our cousins, the terms are the same for both genders. Your

cousin

(be it a brother or sister) is your

rč̣opč̣

in Wakhi. The terms for

nephew

and

niece

also share the same word -

xaryan.

Marriage introduces a whole new set of relationships into our lives. In Wakhi, your

husband

is your

ðay

and your

wife

is referred to as

kend. 

Your

wife's brother

or your

sister's husband

is called

xserz.

The in-laws also have their specific terms. Your

mother-in-law

and

father-in-law

are referred to as

x̌aṣ̌

and

x̌urs

respectively. The collective term for your

husband's or wife's parents

is

x̌ursinčin. 

Your

sister-in-law

is your

nun, 

while your

son-in-law

is

domod

and your

daughter-in-law

is

stex̌.

As for your own children, your

son

is your

petr

and your

daughter

is your

ðeɣ̌d. 

If you have a

stepson, 

he would be referred to as

petrej

and a

stepdaughter

is called

ðeɣ̌dej

in Wakhi.

Extending this to the next generation, your

grandchild

is your

npus

and a

great-grandchild

is a

nbosa. 

The Wakhi language even has a term for the

child of a great-grandchild, 

which is

felfel nibosa.

Finally, how do you refer to yourself in Wakhi? The term for

I or me

is

wuz.

Isn't it fascinating to see how different languages have their unique ways of addressing kinship? So the next time you meet a Wakhi-speaking person, surprise them with your knowledge of their rich language. Language is more than just words; it's a bridge that connects us to different cultures and communities. 

So let's keep learning and expanding our linguistic horizons.

#learnwakhi #wakhi #shupun