A note on the kinship system of Kenya Luo

Abstract

The kinship terms of Kenya Luo show morphologically plural forms for both singular and plural possessors. This feature is not uniform throughout the system, but is present in some terms, absent in others, and variable in still others. This variability, together with the fact that similar patterns are not found in related or neighboring languages, suggests that the pattern is a residual inheritance in Luo.

Keywords

• kinship terms
• Luo
• possessive