Serbo-Croatian kinship

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 шукунунука [C]	great-great-granddaughter
čukununuk šukununuk [C]	чукунунук шукунунук [C]	great-great-grandson
praunuka	праунука	great-granddaughter, descendant
praunuk	праунук	great-grandson, descendant
unuka	унука	granddaughter
unuk	унук	grandson
kćer kćerka ćerka kći	кћер кћерка ћерка кћи	daughter
sin	син	son
majka mater mati	мајка матер мати	mother
mama	мама	mom
otac	отац	father
babo [B] tajo [M] tata	бабо [B] тајо [M] тата	dad
baba baka nana [B] nona	баба бака нана [B] нона	grandmother
ded(a) deka[S] did(a) [C] djed đed [M] nono [C]	дед(a) дека [S] дид(a) [C] дјед ђед [M] ноно [C]	grandfather
prababa prabaka	прабаба	great-grandmother, ancestor
praded(a) pradid(a) [C] pradjed prađed [M]	прадед(a) прадид(a) [C] прадјед прађед[M]	great-grandfather, ancestor
čukunbaba šukunbaka [C]	чукунбаба шукунбака [C]	great-great-grandmother
čukunded(a) čukundjed čukunđed [M] šukundid [C] šukundjed [C]	чукундед(a) чукундјед чукунђед [M] шукундид(a) [C] шукундјед [C]	great-great-grandfather
pretkinja predakinja	преткиња предакиња	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
brat od strica	брат од стрица	male cousin (always first or second), son of father's brother (or male first cousin)
brat od daja brat od ujaka	брат од даја брат од ујака	male cousin (always first or second), son of mother's brother (or male first cousin)
brat od hale brat od tetke	брат од хале брат од тетке	male cousin (always first or second), son of mother's or father's sister (or female first cousin)
sestra od strica	сестра од стрица	female cousin (always first or second), daughter of father's brother (or male first cousin)
sestra of daja sestra od ujaka	сестра од даја сестра од ујака	female cousin (always first or second), daughter of mother's brother (or male first cousin)
sestra od hale sestra od tetke	сестра од хале сестра од тетке	female cousin (always first or second), son of mother's or father's sister (or female first cousin)
rođak	рођак	male cousin, relative
rođaka[S] rođakinja rodica[C]	рођака[S] рођакиња родица[C]	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
amidža adžo stric	амиџа аџо стриц	paternal uncle
amidžinica adžinica strina	амиџиница аџиница стрина	paternal uncle's wife
daidža / dajdža dajo ujak	даиџа / дајџа дајо ујак	maternal uncle
daidžinica / dajdžinica dajnica ujna	даиџиница / дајџиница дајница ујна	maternal uncle's wife; i.e maternal aunt through marriage
hala tetka	хала тетка	aunt (only mother's or father's sister or cousin)
teča [S] tetak [BCM]	теча [S] тетак [BCM]	aunt's husband (where aunt defined as "tetka")
bratanac	братанац	fraternal nephew (for women[S], for men and women[C])
bratanić	братанић	fraternal nephew (for men and women)
sinovac	синовац	fraternal nephew (for men[S])
bratanica brataničina	братаница братаничина	fraternal niece
nećak	нећак	nephew
nećaka nećakinja	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 [C] tast[S]	пунац [C] таст [S]	wife's father	father-in-law
punica [C], tašta[S]	пуница [C] ташта [S]	wife's mother	mother-in-law
zet	зет	daughter's or sister's husband	son-in-law or brother-in-law
nev(j)esta odiva [M] snaha snaja [S]	нев(ј)еста одива [M] снаха снаjа [S]	son's or brother's wife	daughter-in-law or sister-in-law
šura(k) šurjak[C] šogor[C]	шура(к) шурjак [C] шогор [C]	wife's brother	brother-in-law
šurjakinja[C] šurnjaja	шурјакиња[C] шурњаја	wife's brother's wife	sister-in-law
svastika šogorica [C]	свастика шогорица [C]	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
badženjak badžo d(j)ever đever [M]	баџењак баџо д(j)евер ђевер [M]	husband's brother	brother-in-law
jetrva	јетрва	husband's brother's wife	co-sister-in-law
zaova	заова	husband's sister	sister-in-law
pašanac pašenog	пашанац пашеног	wife's sister's husband	co-brother-in-law
prija	прија	child's spouse's mother	co-mother-in-law
prijatelj	пријатељ	child's spouse's father	co-father-in-law; N.B. the exactly same word means "friend" (general word)

Step-relatives

Latin	Cyrillic	Relation
očuh	очух	stepfather
maćeha	маћеха	stepmother
pastorak	пасторак	stepson
pastorka pastorkinja	пасторка пасторкиња	stepdaughter
polusestra	полусестра	half-sister (through only one parent)
polubrat	полубрат	half-brother (through only one parent)

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