Historical and contemporary names of family relationships

Abstract

Names of relationships in connection with the changing notion of family have not been durable and they have changed a lot since the period of Polish history extending from 16th century to the latter half of 18th century. Some of the terms function still today, (e.g. pradziadek ‘great-grandfather’, prawnuk ‘great-grandson’, ciocia ‘auntie’, wujek ‘uncle’, teść ‘father-in-law’, synowa ‘daughter-in-law’), some of them are ambiguous (e.g. kuzyn ‘cousin’, szwagier ‘brother-in-law’), some are going out of use (e.g. stryj ‘paternal uncle’, brat stryjeczny ‘cousin-german’), others disappeared entirely (dziewierz, zełwa — counterparts of sister-in-law used before 16th century). The process of disappearing, limitation or unification (stryj ‘paternal uncle’ — wuj ‘uncle’) of the terminology is an answer to the social changes as well as family’s structure and its functioning. Absence or restriction on the relationship with the further relatives result in less intensive family ties and reduction in the terminology of relationships. The nomenclature of postmodern society of the relationship undergoes some modification according to the changing forms of family’s life.