List of matrilineal or matrilocal societies
The following list includes societies that have been identified as matrilineal or matrilocal in ethnographic literature.
"Matrilineal" means property is passed down through the maternal line on the death of the mother, not that of the father.
"Matrilocal" means new families are established in proximity to the brides' extended family of origin, not that of the groom.
Note: separate in the marriage column refers to the practice of husbands and wives living in separate locations, often informally called walking marriages. See the articles for the specific cultures that practice this for further description.
Group name | Continent | Country | Marriage | Lineage | Reference | (year) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alor | Asia | Indonesia | Cora du Bois | 1944 | ||
Bamenda | Africa | Cameroon | patrilocal | only Kom matrilineal | Phyllis Kaberry | 1952 |
Bantoc | Asia | Philippines | Albert S Bacadayan | 1974 | ||
Batek | Asia | Malaysia | patrilocal | Kirk Michael Endicott | 1974 | |
Boyowan | Australasia | Papua New Guinea | patrilocal | matrilineal | Bronisław Malinowski | 1916 |
Bribri | North America | Costa Rica | matrilocal | matrilineal | William Moore Grabb | 1875 |
Bunt | Asia | India | patrilocal | matrilineal | E Kathleen Gough | 1954 |
Chambri | Australasia | Papua New Guinea | Margaret Mead | 1935 | ||
Filipinos | Asia | Philippines | both | both | Chester L Hunt | 1959 |
Fore | Australasia | Papua New Guinea | Shirley Glasse (Lindenbaum) | 1963 | ||
Garo | Asia | India | matrilocal | matrilineal | ||
Hopi | North America | United States of America | matrilocal | matrilineal | Barbara Freire-Marreco | 1914 |
Iban | Asia | Borneo | both | neither | Edwin H Gomes | 1911 |
Imazighen | Africa | North Sahara | George Peter Murdock | 1959 | ||
Iroquois | North America | North East North America | matrilocal | matrilineal | Lewis Henry Morgan | 1901 |
Jaintia | Asia | India | matrilocal | matrilineal | ||
Jivaro | South America | West Amazon | R Karstan | 1926 | ||
Jews | Israel, Judaism by country | [1] | matrilineal | Judith Buber Agassi[citation needed] | 1989 | |
Karen | Asia | Burma | matrilocal | matrilineal | Harry Ignatius Marshall[2] | 1922 |
Khasi | Asia | India | matrilocal | matrilineal | P. R. T. Gurdon[3] | 1914 |
!Kung San | Africa | Southern Africa | Marjorie Shostak | 1976 | ||
Marshallese | Oceania | Marshall Islands | matrilocal | matrilineal | ||
Maliku | Asia | India | separate | matrilineal | Ellen Kattner | 1996 |
Minangkabau | Asia | Indonesia | both | PJ Veth | 1882 | |
Mosuo | Asia | China | separate | matrilineal | Joseph Francis Charles Rock | 1924 |
Siraya | Austronesia | Taiwan | duolocal,uxorilocal | matrilineal | Shepherd & Candidius | 1995 |
Nakhi | Asia | China | matrilineal | Joseph Francis Charles Rock | 1924 | |
Nair | Asia | India | matrilineal | E Kathleen Gough | 1954 | |
Navajo | North America | United States of America | matrilocal | matrilineal | ||
Nubians | Africa | Sudan | Ernest Godard | 1867 | ||
Jaintias | Asia | India | matrilocal | matrilineal | ||
Tlingit | North America | United States of America | matrilocal | matrilineal | Aurel Krause | 1885 |
Vanatinai | Australasia | Papua New Guinea | matrilocal | matrilineal | Maria Lipowsky | 1981 |
Wemale | Asia | Indonesia | Adolf E Jensen | 1939 | ||
Woorani | South America | Ecuador | John Man | 1982 |
References
- ^ see Jewish views of marriage
- ^ Marshall, Harry Ignatius (1922). "The Karen People of Burma: A Study in Anthropology and Ethnology." Ohio State University Bulletin 26(13). ISBN 9748496864
- ^ The Khasis by P. R. T. Gurdon