Table of Contents
Definition of Nonunilineal Descent
(noun) A descent system tracing descent through the father or mother.
Types of Nonunilineal Descent
Nonunilineal Descent Pronunciation
Syllabification: non·u·ni·lin·e·al de·scent
Audio Pronunciation
Usage Notes
- Plural: nonunilineal descents
- This is a simplified definition of a vast continuum of societal and cultural practices.
- If two people share an ancestor in a nonunilineal descent system they are cognates of each other.
- In contrast to nonunilineal descent, unilineal descent traces an individual’s descent through one sex only, either through the father (patrilineal) or mother (matrilineal).
- Variant spelling: non-unilineal descent
- Also called cognatic descent.
Additional Information
Related Terms
Works Consulted
Andersen, Margaret L., and Howard Francis Taylor. 2011. Sociology: The Essentials. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Ferrante, Joan. 2011. Sociology: A Global Perspective. 7th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
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Kimmel, Michael S., and Amy Aronson. 2012. Sociology Now. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Dictionaries. (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/).
Schaefer, Richard. 2013. Sociology: A Brief Introduction. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Shepard, Jon M. 2010. Sociology. 11th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Shepard, Jon M., and Robert W. Greene. 2003. Sociology and You. New York: Glencoe.
Tischler, Henry L. 2011. Introduction to Sociology. 10th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. (https://en.wikipedia.org/).
Cite the Definition of Nonunilineal Descent
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “nonunilineal descent.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved December 14, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/nonunilineal-descent/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
nonunilineal descent. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/nonunilineal-descent/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “nonunilineal descent.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed December 14, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/nonunilineal-descent/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“nonunilineal descent.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/nonunilineal-descent/>.