phratry
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A social division or kinship group consisting of people claiming descent from a common ancestor: A
phratryis a type of unilineal descent group, typically larger than a clan, found in some tribal societies. It is a grouping of related clans or families that believe they share a distant common ancestor.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- In ancient Greek society, a
phratrywas an important social and religious unit. - Anthropologists studied the tribal structure, which was organized into several
phratries. - Membership in the
phratryconferred specific rights and obligations.
Advanced Usage
- Anthropological/Sociological Context: The term is primarily used in academic discussions of kinship, social organization, and anthropology. It describes a specific level of social structure between the clan and the tribe.
- The conference paper analyzed the political function of the
phratryin Iroquois confederacy.
Variants and Related Words
- Phratric (adj): Pertaining to a phratry.
- The
phratricbonds were crucial for organizing large-scale ceremonies.
Synonyms
- Kin group: A group of people related by blood or marriage.
- Descent group: A social group whose members share common ancestry.
- Clan: A group of close-knit and interrelated families (often a smaller unit than a phratry).
Notes on Meaning
- The term is highly specialized and is not used in everyday modern English. It is almost exclusively found in anthropological, historical, or sociological texts.
- While the reference context mentions "people descended from a common ancestor," which is the core idea, a specifically refers to this as a formal, named social segment within a larger tribal structure. It is more than just a general "family" in the modern sense.
Noun
- people descended from a common ancestor
- his family has lived in Massachusetts since the Mayflower