[Note: this transcription was produced by an automatic OCR engine]

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KINSHIP ORGANIZATION IN NORTH-WEST I09
in Seniang it is not considered Wrong to do so before the former.
It is also stated that if a man and his son-in~law partake of the
same pudding, the older man must always eat ï¬Årst. Further, in
speaking to the spouse’s parents certain words used in everyday
conversation are not permitted. There is a. term, telenirgh,
which signiï¬Åes to avoid certain words in addressing the parents-
in-law. Instead a number of synonyms are employed by a
man or woman when talking to these relatives, of which the
following are examples :~
Woni used in
speaking to Parent-
in-law.
mbatin (= ? head) . . . . . mrhz sen
nughum (= face) . . . . . Wmam
nuh/uwhup (naavaap) (= P penis sheath) . nambegh sum
gmipf (= excrete) . . . . . gï¬Åiélip ' _ _
gemm . . . . . . . noue wémm wetogh
gembï¬Ålz lis . . gelislis mvutowtuan
mbï¬Åravï¬Ån . . . . . temgam
nelvï¬Åm . . . . . . . névit
If a man violates any of these tabus on his behaviour to his
father-in-law, he must pay him a ï¬Åne of one pig, such a payment
being termed imbembangk.
Although the term neï¬Ågh is used by a man for his sister's
husband and his 'da.ughter's husband, his behaviour towards
these two is distinct. There is no avoidance of the sister's
husband, and a man may even chaff (sambasamp) him freely,
but all such jesting is forbidden with the daughter's husband,
and to a certain extent the avoidance practised by the son-in-
law is reciprocatecl.
If a man should visit his wiie’s village he will, as in Seniang,
observe certain rules of conduct. He does not walk into it
freely, but sits down on its outskirts and waits until he is called
up to the hamal (club-house), or the dwelling-houses. When he
enters the village he leaves his bow or rifle or any other weapons
outside. Should either of these regulations be infringed his wife
would become sterile. Further, during his stay in his wife’s
village, he must be careful not to eat any of the coco-nuts taken
from near by ; other foods he may consume and even puddings
containing coco-nuts if these have not been picked from trees
growing near the houses.
Word used in Ordinary Speech