DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49271#0188
126
C. G. and B. Z. Seligman
tent when the women are about),32 though when the boys grow older and leave the women,
they attend their own fathers and their fathers’ brothers rather than their mothers’ brothers.
Though the word khal means “administrator”, the mother’s brother does not have
any administrative duties at the present day. A man might look for help to his mother’s
family, but he could not claim it (cf. the blood money). It was only when asked that
Muhammad Laulau contributed toward the fee paid to the feki for the cure of a lunatic lad
belonging to his mother’s khasm beyt. With regard to the word 'adil (wife’s sister’s hus-
band) we do not think that the introduction of a special term, to designate a particular
relation by marriage, need be considered in this instance to denote the existence of special
functions, though this may be, or have been, so. The relationship is reciprocal, and the
verb 'adala means “to be equal” or “evenly balanced”, as the two sides of a camel’s load,
and it may be the symmetry of the relationship that has given rise to the term.
There are certain relatives whom a Kabbashi will never address by name, as to do so
would be considered a sign of disrespect. These are father’s brother, father’s sister,
father’s sister’s husband, mother’s brother, father’s father and mother’s father, wife’s
father, wife’s mother. A woman will not address her husband or her husband’s parents
by name. It is interesting to note that even after divorce a woman would not mention
her late husband’s name, but would call him the father of so-and-so or the son of so-and-
so. Though the remaining relatives may be addressed by name, it is considered more
respectful to use relationship terms to elders.
The strictest avoidance is practised between a man and his mother-in-law. This
begins directly a boy and girl are betrothed; a woman would slip out of her tent by the
back should her daughter’s husband or betrothed cross the threshold. Should she meet
him out-of-doors she would step a few paces off the path, and turn her head until he had
passed. Personal contact would be avoided at all costs, and even in the case of severe
accidents assistance would be considered incorrect if it involved contact. It is the woman’s
duty to avoid the meeting. Though a woman would prepare food for her son-in-law, he
would not eat it in her presence, and if constrained to speak to her (this is more likely to
happen after several years of married life) he would address her as 'ammett, even if he had
not married his bint 'amm and his wife belonged to another khasm beyt. Mother-in-
laws’ sisters are respected in the same way as the mother-in-law. A man is respectful
to his wife’s father, but will eat with him, and as a matter of fact he seems often to
accompany him on journeys rather than his own father. Thus 'Alt wad Musa wad Kuraysh
had gone to Kulga to herd camels with his wife’s father Salim wad Kuraysh, 'All’s own
father being at the time at home in the ferik. In this case the correct Arab marriage had
32 Vide infra, p. 127.
C. G. and B. Z. Seligman
tent when the women are about),32 though when the boys grow older and leave the women,
they attend their own fathers and their fathers’ brothers rather than their mothers’ brothers.
Though the word khal means “administrator”, the mother’s brother does not have
any administrative duties at the present day. A man might look for help to his mother’s
family, but he could not claim it (cf. the blood money). It was only when asked that
Muhammad Laulau contributed toward the fee paid to the feki for the cure of a lunatic lad
belonging to his mother’s khasm beyt. With regard to the word 'adil (wife’s sister’s hus-
band) we do not think that the introduction of a special term, to designate a particular
relation by marriage, need be considered in this instance to denote the existence of special
functions, though this may be, or have been, so. The relationship is reciprocal, and the
verb 'adala means “to be equal” or “evenly balanced”, as the two sides of a camel’s load,
and it may be the symmetry of the relationship that has given rise to the term.
There are certain relatives whom a Kabbashi will never address by name, as to do so
would be considered a sign of disrespect. These are father’s brother, father’s sister,
father’s sister’s husband, mother’s brother, father’s father and mother’s father, wife’s
father, wife’s mother. A woman will not address her husband or her husband’s parents
by name. It is interesting to note that even after divorce a woman would not mention
her late husband’s name, but would call him the father of so-and-so or the son of so-and-
so. Though the remaining relatives may be addressed by name, it is considered more
respectful to use relationship terms to elders.
The strictest avoidance is practised between a man and his mother-in-law. This
begins directly a boy and girl are betrothed; a woman would slip out of her tent by the
back should her daughter’s husband or betrothed cross the threshold. Should she meet
him out-of-doors she would step a few paces off the path, and turn her head until he had
passed. Personal contact would be avoided at all costs, and even in the case of severe
accidents assistance would be considered incorrect if it involved contact. It is the woman’s
duty to avoid the meeting. Though a woman would prepare food for her son-in-law, he
would not eat it in her presence, and if constrained to speak to her (this is more likely to
happen after several years of married life) he would address her as 'ammett, even if he had
not married his bint 'amm and his wife belonged to another khasm beyt. Mother-in-
laws’ sisters are respected in the same way as the mother-in-law. A man is respectful
to his wife’s father, but will eat with him, and as a matter of fact he seems often to
accompany him on journeys rather than his own father. Thus 'Alt wad Musa wad Kuraysh
had gone to Kulga to herd camels with his wife’s father Salim wad Kuraysh, 'All’s own
father being at the time at home in the ferik. In this case the correct Arab marriage had
32 Vide infra, p. 127.