phratry

Definition Phratry

(noun) A group of clans with a common ancestor.

Phratry Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: phra·try

Audio Pronunciation

International Phonetic Alphabet

• American English – /ˈfreɪtri/
• British English – /ˈfreɪtri/

Usage Notes

• Plural: phratries
• Term used by Lewis Henry Morgan (1818–1881) in his work Systems of Consanguinity and Affinity in the Human Family (1871) which along with Claude Lévi-Strauss’ (1908–2009) The Elementary Structures of Kinship (1949) helped establish the study of kinship as a distinct field of anthropology and sociology.
• Two or more clans combine to make a (adjective) phratric or (adjective) phratral relationship.

Additional Information

• Family and Kinship Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links

Related Terms

• clan
• descent group
• endogamy
• exogamy
• generation
• extended family
• kinship
• lineage
• marriage
• matrilineal descent
• moiety

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Cite the Definition of Phratry

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “phratry.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved April 20, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/phratry/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

phratry. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/phratry/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “phratry.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed April 20, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/phratry/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“phratry.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 20 Apr. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/phratry/>.