tožą́
The Lakota word for nephew is tožą́.
The term tožą́ is used to refer to a nephew, whether he is the son of a brother or the son of a sister.
Meaning: fraternal or sororal nephew (noun)
Did you know?
- The phonetic structure of tožą́ includes a nasalized vowel, a sound that does not exist in English and is a characteristic feature of the Lakota language.
- Lakota uses distinct kinship terms to define whether a relative is 'above' or 'below' you in generation, making tožą́ part of a strict hierarchical map.
- Because kinship defines the entire social structure, calling a relative by the wrong term instead of tožą́ can be interpreted as a significant sign of disrespect.
Example conversation
Darrell and Glenda are talking about family members.
- DarrellNi tožą́ waunšila waúŋkhe.My nephew is a boy.
- GlendaHéya, waunšila waúŋkhe.Yes, he is a small boy.
- DarrellNi tožą́ waunšila waúŋkhe waunčel.My nephew is a very small boy.
- GlendaWaunšila waúŋkhe waunčel.He is a very small boy.
