ganei
The Fijian word for niece is ganei.
ganei refers to a niece, whether she is the daughter of your brother or the daughter of your sister.
Meaning: fraternal or sororal niece (noun)
Did you know?
- In Fijian, the word ganei is used for both a niece and a nephew. The language does not distinguish between the gender of the child in this relationship.
- The term ganei is part of a complex kinship system where your relationship to a 'niece' changes significantly depending on whether she is from your mother's or father's side of the family.
- In traditional Fijian social structures, a 'niece' (the daughter of a brother) often holds a different ritual status than a 'niece' who is the daughter of a sister.
Example conversation
Sairusa and Mere are looking at a family photo.
- SairusaO cei na gone vakaqara oqo?Who is this little girl?
- MereO koya na noqu ganei.She is my niece.
- SairusaE mata vaka iko sara.She looks just like you.
- MereIo, e mata vaka na noqu vei.Yes, she looks like my side of the family.
