Advertisement
Advertisement
phratry
[ frey-tree ]
noun
- a grouping of clans or other social units within a tribe.
- (in ancient Greece) a subdivision of a phyle.
phratry
/ ˈfreɪtrɪ /
noun
- anthropol a group of people within a tribe who have a common ancestor
Discover More
Derived Forms
- ˈphratric, adjective
Discover More
Other Words From
- phratric phratral phratri·ac phratri·al adjective
- sub·phratry noun plural subphratries
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Origin of phratry1
Discover More
Example Sentences
A man of the Emu phratry marries a woman of the Kangaroo phratry, and to that phratry her children belong.
Thus members of either phratry must be found in any casual knot or company of natives.
Within each phratry there are, again, kinships also known by hereditary names of animals or plants.
In phratry Kupathin are Ipai (male) and Kumbo (male), while the women bear the feminine forms of these names.
Where totem and phratry names only exist, a man has merely to ask a woman, "What is your phratry name?"
Advertisement
Word of the Day
[fur-kin ]
Meaning and examplesStart each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!
By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse