[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]
80 MALEKULA
Further, the terms used between two people are not necessarily
reciprocal. Thus Tota calls Fintimbus tatai, father, while
Fintimbus addresses him as tuan, brother. The reason for
this is that Tota’s father, Aimbong, is classificatory brother to
Fintimbus, and therefore the latter is in the status of father to
Tota ; but Tota's mother was a woman of Uraau, who through
her mother, Viranmap, was elder sister to Viloorrnbatambur,
Viranmap’s daughter by her second husband, a man oi Tivulernp.
Thus, reckoning through their mothers Tota, is Fintimbus' elder
brother. The reason why, in addressing Tota, Fintimbus traces
his kinship through his mother is that Ambatinvindawu, his
father, died while his son Fintimbus was very young (see Table C).
(1) _ (2)
5‘ : Viranmap = AILIMBON
(Uraau) 1 (Ranmap) ] (Tivulemp)
| l l
3‘ = Q AMBATINVINDAWU = Viloormbatambur
(Ndawu) I I (Tivulernp)
= Amnoue Frrmmsus '
(Uraau) l
Tom
TABLE C.
Illustrating the Dual Relationship between Fintimhus of Ndawu and
Tota oi Ndawu.
From this we can see that two individuals may trace their relation-
ship to each other along different paths, and that the selection
of the path depends very largely on the history of each person
concerned,
A further complication in tracing the relationship between
two individuals may and often does arise from the practice»
which will be described later, of “ washing out the name â€ù,
that is, obliterating the kinship bonds, in order to enable a man
to marry a. woman whom he addresses by a term such as
" mother " or “ sister ".1
' The complexity resulting irorri the existence of these multiple relationships
is clearly seen on an analysis of the genealogies of the people of Seniang and
Wilemp and the lists of the kinship ten-ns used between them. In many cases
the data. available are insufficient to explain the use oi the terms, for it is not
always possible to determine whether individuals of the same clan, but not
close blood kindred, belong to the same or to different generations.—C. H. W.
.1.
1
1:

E
elf
4