Universal #1663

Legacy number: 1663

 Number  1658
 Original  Whenever there are two terms differing in generation which are true reciprocals, or there is one which is a self-reciprocal term with two referents, and one involves the sex of the speaker in its definition and the other does not, it is always the term of lower generational reference which contains the sex of the speaker in its definition.
 Standardized  Whenever there are two terms differing in generation which are true reciprocals, or there is one which is a self-reciprocal term with two referents, and one involves the sex of the speaker in its definition and the other does not, it is always the term of lower generational reference which contains the sex of the speaker in its definition.
 Keywords  kinship
 Domain  lexicon
 Type  unconditional
 Status  achronic
 Quality  absolute
 Basis  Gifford study of California kinship terminologies which contains kinship terminologies of approx. 80 California Indian groups, and approx. 40 additional terminologies from various parts of the world
 Source  Greenberg 1966c: 79

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Discussion
Notes
Two terms may be defined as RECIPROCALS if whenever x refers to y by the first term, y refers to x by the second. If x and y are identical, then we say the term is SELF-RECIPROCAL. English system of terminology has only one true reciprocal term ‘cousin’ and it is self-reciprocal. (Greenberg 1966c: 77)
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
Two terms may be defined as RECIPROCALS if whenever x refers to y by the first term, y refers to x by the second. If x and y are identical, then we say the term is SELF-RECIPROCAL. English system of terminology has only one true reciprocal term 'cousin' and it is self-reciprocal. (Greenberg 1966c: 77)