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PDF| Umbitchana |Gen-----------------+---------------+-------------------+------------------+er- | |_Tjimmia_ |_Aperla_ |at- | |(mother’s father) |(father’s |ion | | |mother) |I ----------------+---------------+-------------------+-------
-----------+ Mia (mother, |_Ikuntera_ | | | mother’s sister)|(wife’s father)| | |II Gammona | | | | (mother’s | | | | brother) | | | | ----------------+---------------+-------------------+-------
-----------+ | | | | | |_Unkulla_ (father’s|_Unawa_ (wife, | | |sister’s sons) |wife’s sisters) | | | |_Umbirna_ |III | | |(wife’s brother= | | | |sister’s | | | |husband) | - | | | | ----------------+---------------+-------------------+-------
-----------+ Gammona (son’s|_Umba_ | | | wife) |(sister’s | | |IV |children) | | | | | | | ----------------+---------------+-------------------+-------
-----------+ | |_Tjimmia_ | | | |(daughter’s child) | |V ---------------+---------------+-------------------+--------
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In the Wathi-Wathi system, we observe that in each generation there are two groups of males and two of females, corresponding to the two-phratry system, which are distinguished by names differing for each generation. Precisely the same arrangement is found in the four-class tribe. The four-class are therefore simply a systematisation of the terms of kinship in use under the two-phratry system.
Comparing now the eight-class with the four-class system, we do not see at a glance the essential principle of the former. The clue is given by the fact that classes I and IV, II and III in phratry A, I and II, III and IV in phratry B, are what we have termed a couple, that is to say stand in the relation of parent and child alternately. Marriage being between classes of corresponding numbers, it follows that Kumara-Bulthara and Appungerta-Umbitchana are the maternal and paternal grandparents of the man EGO. The grandparents of his wife are in the same classes but with reversal as regards the sex. Bulthara is the cousin of Appungerta, Kumara of Umbitchana and so on. We see therefore that, just as among the Dieri, a man may not marry his cousin, but must marry his second cousin, to use ordinary terms, which in this case are not misleading.
