2. Kinship

EnglishPunjabi

In English direct relation, age, and gender is important. There are specfic terms for people who are in the same nuclear family (brother, sister, mother father). We can see that age and gender is important because those that are older than you get specific kinship terms (grandmother, aunt, etc) while those who are the same age as you outside of your nuclear family receive a generic word (cousin).

In Punjabi terms denote relation to your mother or father and gender. Punjabi terminology distinguishes mother, mother's brother, and mother's sister, and each of their respective spouses, all of which are further distinguished from father, father's elder brother, Father's younger brother, and father's sister and their respective spouses where English has only "uncle" and "aunt." But the offspring of these relations are all either "brother" or "sister," according to sex.