The Serbo-Croatian standard languages (Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian and Montenegrin) have one of the more elaborate kinship () 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; all terms are considered standard in all language standards, unless otherwise marked: <sup>[S]</sup> (Serbian), <sup>[C]</sup> (Croatian), <sup>[B]</sup> (Bosnian) and <sup>[M]</sup> (Montenegrin) below.

There are four main types of kinship in the family: biological 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.

{| class="wikitable"

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! Latin !! Cyrillic !! Relation

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| čukununuka<br>šukununuka <sup>[C]</sup> || чукунунука<br>шукунунука <sup>[C]</sup>|| great-great-granddaughter

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| čukununuk<br>šukununuk <sup>[C]</sup> || чукунунук<br>шукунунук <sup>[C]</sup> ||great-great-grandson

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| praunuka || праунука || great-granddaughter, descendant

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| praunuk || праунук || great-grandson, descendant

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| unuka || унука || granddaughter

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| unuk || унук || grandson

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| kćer<br> kćerka<br>ćerka<br>kći || кћер<br>кћерка<br>ћерка<br>кћи || daughter

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| sin || син || son

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| majka<br>mater<br>mati || мајка<br>матер<br>мати || mother

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| mama<br>keva || мама<br>кева || mom

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| otac || отац || father

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| babo <sup>[B]</sup><br>ćaća <sup>[C]</sup><br>ćale <sup>[S]</sup><br>tajo <sup>[M]</sup><br>tata || бабо <sup>[B]</sup><br>ћаћа <sup>[C]</sup><br>ћале <sup>[S]</sup><br>тајо <sup>[M]</sup><br>тата || dad

|-

| baba<br>baka<br>nana <sup>[B]</sup><br>nona || баба<br>бака<br>нана <sup>[B]</sup><br>нона|| grandmother

|-

| ded(a)<br>deka <sup>[S]</sup><br>did(a) <sup>[C]</sup><br>dido<br>djed<br>đed <sup>[M]</sup><br>nono <sup>[C]</sup><br>dedo <sup>[B]</sup> || дед(a)<br>дека <sup>[S]</sup><br>дид(a) <sup>[C]</sup><br>дидо<br>дјед<br>ђед <sup>[M]</sup><br>ноно <sup>[C]</sup><br>дедо <sup>[B]</sup> || grandfather

|-

| prababa<br>prabaka || прабаба<br>прабака || great-grandmother, ancestor

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| praded(a)<br>pradid(a) <sup>[C]</sup><br>pradido<br>pradjed<br>prađed <sup>[M]</sup> || прадед(a)<br>прадид(a) <sup>[C]</sup><br>прадидо<br>прадјед<br>прађед <sup>[M]</sup> || great-grandfather, ancestor

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| čukunbaba<br>šukunbaka <sup>[C]</sup> || чукунбаба<br>шукунбака <sup>[C]</sup> || great-great-grandmother

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| čukunded(a)<br>čukundjed<br>čukunđed <sup>[M]</sup><br>šukundid(a) <sup>[C]</sup><br>šukundjed <sup>[C]</sup> || чукундед(a)<br>чукундјед<br>чукунђед <sup>[M]</sup><br>шукундид(a) <sup>[C]</sup><br>шукундјед <sup>[C]</sup> || great-great-grandfather

|-

| predakinja <sup>[S]</sup><br>pretkinja <sup>[C]</sup><br>pređa <sup>[M]</sup> || предакиња <sup>[S]</sup><br>преткиња <sup>[C]</sup><br>пређа <sup>[M]</sup>|| female ancestor

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| predak || предак || male ancestor

|}

Own generation

Diminutive forms of siblings are used for cousins.

{| class="wikitable"

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! Latin !! Cyrillic !! English translation

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| brat || брат || brother

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| sestra || сестра || sister

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| bratić <sup>[C]</sup>

| братић <sup>[C]</sup>

| male first cousin

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| sestrična <sup>[C]</sup>

| сестрична <sup>[C]</sup>

| female first cousin

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| brat od strica<br>stričević<br>amidžić || брат од стрица<br>стричевић<br>амиџић || male cousin (always first or second), son of father's brother (or male first cousin)

|-

| brat od daja<br>brat od ujaka<br>daidžić<br>ujčević || брат од даја<br>брат од ујака<br>даиџић<br>ујчевић || male cousin (always first or second), son of mother's brother (or male first cousin)

|-

| brat od hale<br>brat od tetke<br>tetić<br>tetkić<br>tetišnji || брат од хале<br>брат од тетке<br>тетић<br>теткић<br>тетишњи || male cousin (always first or second), son of mother's or father's sister (or female first cousin)

|-

| sestra od strica<br>stričevka<br>admidžišnja || сестра од стрица<br>стричевићка<br>амиџишња || female cousin (always first or second), daughter of father's brother (or male first cousin)

|-

| sestra od daja<br>sestra od ujaka<br>ujčevka<br>daidžišnja || сестра од даја<br>сестра од ујака<br>даиџишња<br>ујчевићка || female cousin (always first or second), daughter of mother's brother (or male first cousin)

|-

| sestra od hale<br>sestra od tetke<br>tetišnja || сестра од хале<br>сестра од тетке<br>тетишња || female cousin (always first or second), daughter of mother's or father's sister (or female first cousin)

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| rođak || рођак || male cousin, relative

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| rođaka <sup>[S]</sup><br>rođakinja<br>rodica <sup>[C]</sup> || рођака <sup>[S]</sup><br>рођакиња<br>родица <sup>[C]</sup> || female cousin, relative

|}

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

{| class="wikitable"

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! Latin !! Cyrillic !! Relation

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| amidža<br>adžo<br>stric<br>čiča<br>čika<br>ćić || амиџа<br>аџо<br>стриц<br>чича<br>чика<br>ћић || paternal uncle

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| amidžinica<br>adžinica<br>strina || амиџиница<br>аџиница<br>стрина|| paternal uncle's wife

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| daidža / dajdža<br>dajo<br>ujak || даиџа / дајџа<br>дајо<br> ујак || maternal uncle

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| daidžinica / dajdžinica<br>dajnica<br>ujna || даиџиница / дајџиница<br>дајница<br>ујна || maternal uncle's wife; i.e. maternal aunt through marriage

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| hala<br> tetka || хала<br>тетка || aunt (only mother's or father's sister or cousin)

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| teča <sup>[S]</sup><br>tetak || теча <sup>[S]</sup><br> тетак|| aunt's husband (where aunt defined as "tetka")

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| bratanac || братанац || fraternal nephew (for women<sup>[S]</sup>, for men and women<sup>[C]</sup>)

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| bratanić<br>bratić|| братанић<br>братић || fraternal nephew (for men and women)

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| sinovac || синовац || fraternal nephew (for men<sup>[S]</sup>)

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| bratanica<br>brataničina<br>bratičina || братаница<br>братаничина<br>братичина || fraternal niece

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| nećak || нећак || nephew

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| nećaka<br>nećakinja || нећака<br>нећакиња || niece

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| sestrić || сестрић || sororal nephew

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| 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.

{| class="wikitable"

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! Latin !! Cyrillic || Relation || English translation

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| svekar || свекар || husband's father|| father-in-law

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| svekrva || свекрва || husband's mother || mother-in-law

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| punac <sup>[C]</sup><br>tast<sup>[S]</sup> ||пунац <sup>[C]</sup><br>таст <sup>[S]</sup> || wife's father || father-in-law

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| punica <sup>[C]</sup><br>tašta<sup>[S]</sup> ||пуница <sup>[C]</sup><br>ташта <sup>[S]</sup> || wife's mother || mother-in-law

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| zet || зет || daughter's or sister's husband || son-in-law or brother-in-law

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| nev(j)esta<br>odiva <sup>[M]</sup><br>snaha<br>snaja <sup>[C, S]</sup><br>snaša || нев(ј)еста<br>одива <sup>[M]</sup><br>снаха<br>снаjа <sup>[C, S]</sup><br>снаша || son's or brother's wife || daughter-in-law or sister-in-law

|-

| šura(k)<br>šurjak<sup>[C]</sup><br>šogor<sup>[C]</sup> || шура(к)<br>шурjак <sup>[C]</sup><br>шогор <sup>[C]</sup> || wife's brother || brother-in-law

|-

| šurjakinja<sup>[C]</sup><br>šurnjaja<br>šurnaja || шурјакиња<sup>[C]</sup><br>шурњаја<br>шурнаја || wife's brother's wife || sister-in-law

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| svastika<br>šogorica <sup>[C]</sup> || свастика <br>шогорица <sup>[C]</sup>|| wife's sister || sister-in-law

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| svastić || свастић || wife's sister's son || nephew-in-law

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| svastičina || свастичина || wife's sister's daughter || niece-in-law

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| badženjak<br>badžo<br>d(j)ever<br>đever <sup>[M]</sup> || баџењак<br>баџо <br>д(j)евер<br>ђевер <sup>[M]</sup> || husband's brother || brother-in-law

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| jetrva || јетрва || husband's brother's wife || co-sister-in-law

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| zaova || заова || husband's sister || sister-in-law

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| zaovac || заовац || husband's sister's husband || co-brother-in-law

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| pašanac<br>pašenog<br>badžo || пашанац<br>пашеног<br>баџо || wife's sister's husband || co-brother-in-law

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| prija || прија || child's spouse's mother || co-mother-in-law

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| prijatelj<br>prika || пријатељ<br>прика || child's spouse's father || co-father-in-law; N.B. the exactly same word means "friend" (general word)

|}

Step-relatives

There are spouses of ancestors that are not blood relatives and their spouse's descendants, second spouse of father's or mother's siblings (paternal or maternal step-aunts and step-uncles) and their children.

{| class="wikitable"

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! Latin !! Cyrillic || Relation

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| očuh || очух || stepfather

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| maćeha || маћеха || stepmother

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| pastorak || пасторак || stepson

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| pastorka<br>pastorkinja || пасторка<br>пасторкиња || stepdaughter

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| polubrat || полубрат || half-brother (through only one parent)

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| – brat po ocu || брат по оцу || half-brother (sharing same father, different mothers)

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| – brat po majci || брат по мајци || half-brother (sharing same mother, different fathers)

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| polusestra || полусестра || half-sister (through only one parent)

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| – sestra po ocu || сестра по оцу || half-sister (sharing same father, different mothers)

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| – sestra po majci || сестра по мајци || half-sister (sharing same mother, different fathers)

|}

Foster-relatives

Foster relations are important and have dedicated terms.

{| class="wikitable"

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! Latin !! Cyrillic || Relation

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| usvojenik || усвојеник || adopted son

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| usvojenica || усвојеница || adopted daughter

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| poočim || поочим || foster-father

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| pomajka || помајка || foster-mother

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| posinak<br> usinjenik <sup>[S]</sup> || посинак<br> усињеник <sup>[S]</sup> || foster-son

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| po(k)ćerka || по(к)ћерка || foster-daughter

|}

References

Further reading