Serbo-Croatian kinship

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The Serbo-Croatian standard languages (Croatian, Serbian and Bosnian) have one of the more elaborate kinship (srodstvo) systems among European languages. Terminology may differ from place to place. Most words are common to other Slavic languages, though some derive from Turkish. The standardized languages may recognize slightly different pronunciations or dialectical forms; these are marked ^[S] (Serbian) and ^[C] (Croatian) below.

There are four main types of kinship in the family: biological AKA blood kinship, kinship by law (in-laws), spiritual kinship (such as godparents), and legal kinship through adoption and remarriage.

As is common in many rural family structures, three generations of a family will live together in a home in what anthropologists call a joint family structure, where parents, their son(s), and grandchildren would cohabit in a family home.

Direct descendance and ancestry

Words for relations up to five generations removed—great-great-grandparents and great-great-grandchildren—are in common use. The fourth-generation terms are also used as generics for ancestors and descendants. There is no distinction between the maternal and paternal line. In addition, specialized terms for ancestry up to sixteen generations have been coined for use in genealogical circles, but these are not commonly known.

Latin	Cyrillic	Relation
potomkinja	потомкиња	female descendant
potomak	потомак	male descendant
čukununuka, šukununuka[C]	чукунунука	great-great-granddaughter
čukununuk, šukununuk[C]	чукунунук	great-great-grandson
praunuka	праунука	great-granddaughter, descendant
praunuk	праунук	great-grandson, descendant
unuka	унука	granddaughter
unuk	унук	grandson
(k)ćer(ka), kći[C]	(k)ћер(ка)	daughter
sin	син	son
majka, mati	мајка, мати	mother
otac	отац	father
baba, baka	баба, бака	grandmother
d(j)ed(a), deka, đed,[S] dida[C]	д(ј)ед(a), дека, ђед[S]	grandfather
prababa, prabaka	прабаба	great-grandmother, ancestor
prad(j)ed(a), prađed[S]	прад(ј)ед(a), прађед[S]	great-grandfather, ancestor
čukunbaba, šukunbaka[C]	чукунбаба	great-great-grandmother
čukund(j)ed(a), čukunđed,[S] šukundjed[C]	чукунд(ј)ед(a), чукунђед[S]	great-great-grandfather
pretkinja	преткиња	female ancestor
predak	предак	male ancestor

Ego's generation

Diminutive forms of siblings are used for cousins.

Latin	Cyrillic	English translation
brat	брат	brother
sestra	сестра	sister
bratić[C]	братић	male first cousin
sestrična[C]	сестрична	female first cousin
rođak	рођак	male cousin, relative
rođaka, rođakinja, rodica	рођака, рођакиња, родица	female cousin, relative

Indirect ancestry, descendants and legal relations

There are separate terms for maternal and paternal uncles, but not for aunts. In addition, spouses of uncles and aunts have their own terms.

Latin	Cyrillic	Relation
stric	стриц	paternal uncle
strina	стрина	paternal uncle's wife
ujak	ујак	maternal uncle
ujna	ујна	maternal uncle's wife; sometimes maternal aunt
tetka	тетка	aunt (only mother's or father's sister or cousin)
tetak (teča)	тетак (теча)	aunt's husband (where aunt defined as "tetka")
bratanac	братанац	fraternal nephew (for women)
sinovac	синовац	fraternal nephew (for men)
bratanica	братаница	fraternal niece
nećak (Dalmatian-Croatian)	нећак	nephew
nećaka, nećakinja (Dalmatian-Croatian	нећака, нећакиња	niece
sestrić	сестрић	sororal nephew
sestričina	сестричина	sororal niece

In-laws

There are separate terms for a man's and a woman's parents-in-law. However, the same terms are commonly used for siblings-in-law and children-in-law. There are separate terms for co-siblings-in-law.

Latin	Cyrillic	Relation	English translation
svekar	свекар	husband's father	father-in-law
svekrva	свекрва	husband's mother	mother-in-law
punac, tast[S]	пунац, таст[S]	wife's father	father-in-law
punica, tašta[S]	пуница, ташта[S]	wife's mother	mother-in-law
zet	зет	daughter's or sister's husband	son-in-law or brother-in-law
nevjesta,[C] snaha,[S] snaja[S]	нев(ј)еста,снаха, снаjа	son's or brother's wife	daughter-in-law or sister-in-law
šurak, šurjak, šogor[C]	шурак, шурjак	wife's brother	brother-in-law
šurnjaja, šurjakinja	шурњаја, шурјакиња	wife's brother's wife	sister-in-law
svastika, šogorica[C]	свастика	wife's sister	sister-in-law
svastić	свастић	wife's sister's son	nephew-in-law
svastičina	свастичина	wife's sister's daughter	niece-in-law
djever, dever	девер, дjевер	husband's brother	brother-in-law
zaova	заова	husband's sister	sister-in-law
pašenog, pašanac, badžanac[C]	пашеног, пашанац, баџа	wife's sister's husband	co-brother-in-law
jetrva	јетрва	husband's brother's wife	co-sister-in-law

Step-relatives

Latin	Cyrillic	Relation
očuh	очух	stepfather
maćeha	маћеха	stepmother
pastorak	пасторак	stepson
pastorka, pastorkinja	пасторка, пасторкиња	stepdaughter
polusestra	полусестра	stepsister
polubrat	полубрат	stepbrother

Foster-relatives

Foster relations are important and have dedicated terms.

Latin	Cyrillic	Relation
usvojenik	усвојеник	adopted son
usvojenica	усвојеница	adopted daughter
poočim	поочим	foster-father
pomajka	помајка	foster-mother
posinak, usinjenik[S]	посинак, усињеник[S]	foster-son
po(k)ćerka	по(к)ћерка	foster-daughter