Marriage & relations

[Anand Manohar]

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Dear TBS Ji

Your post # 24

I got lost here : " Chumma Kidaithal Chittappvukku Rendu ".

I happen to be 'Chittappa', many times over and in different 'routes'
I am as it is, happy that the title has not metamorphosed to "Shit Upper".

Mind clarifying, please ??

Yay Yem

 

[renuka]

hi RR madam....


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Tamil Brahmins terms for relatives

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Onnu vitta means one step away from the main - onnu vitta brother is a cousin. Onnu vitta chitthappa is father's cousin. Onnu vitta mama means mother's cousin.

In our usages, there were ( or there continues to be ) some undertones. Atthan is an endearing term. Ammanji is slightly derogatory. Atthai, being the natthanar of amma, is a dominating force in marriages. Atthai's husband, Atthimber, is generally considered to be a little innocent. Akka's husband Atthimber has to prove his innocence else he would be construed as demanding type. Macchinar is tolerable. Orpadi is always hostile. Kozhundan, if he is the youngest needs special attention. Mama is considered as "our man". Mami needs to be watched carefully. Amma's sister chitthi is acceptable. Chittahappa's wife chitthi is referred to with indifference. These are mere generalisations and not logical conclusions.

"Chumma kidaithal chittappavukku rendu", is a commonplace usage.

Hilarious blogger Anand Ramachandran once wrote on "Ambi mama". In every brahminical family, there is atleast one ambi mama. Mr.Ramachandran's write up evoked atleast two hundred responses.

In Travancore, an elderly brahminical woman was endearingly called 'Chitthi'. In Maharashtra too we refer to middle-aged women as " moushi ", a little more poignant than the dry 'aunty'.

It is 'patta' and thathi' in Kerala. Thattha and patti in Tamil nadu.

i got it from my email...

OMG!

So confusing..so the best is just call every type of cousin as brother or sister and call every elder male/female as uncle /aunty and do NOT marry anyone who shares similar DNA with us(blood relative).

I call all my aunt's sons (father's sisters son's) by name even though some are a good 15 years older to me..my other cousins call them Mama etc.
No way man!! a person sharing same DNA with me is only a brother to me and no mama mannagatti!LOL

 

[vgane]

Dear Ashwin,

Just go & marry your aunt's grand daughter before your aunts daughter starts to "bigu"fy for giving her daughter to you

 

[Raji Ram]

........ Atthan is an endearing term. Ammanji is slightly derogatory.......

OH! But I don't think so!
Can you guess why? Because ammAnji has respect in the word! :hail:

 

[Raji Ram]

Dear Renu,

The words 'uncle', 'aunt' and 'cousin' are very confusing where as mAmA, mAmi, athAn, athangA, athai, athimbAr,

ammAnji, ammangA gives the exact relationship. The only problem is that akkA's husband is also called athimbAR

and chithi - chithappA and periammA - periappa come in both appA's and ammA's sides!

 

[Raji Ram]

Dear T B S Sir,

One interesting quote is missing in the write up about Tambram relatives!

'athaikku meesai muLachchA chithappA'!

Picture courtesy: Google images.

P.S: Wonder how many athais will become chithappAs when they grow old!! :lol:

 

[renuka]

Dear Renu,

The words 'uncle', 'aunt' and 'cousin' are very confusing where as mAmA, mAmi, athAn, athangA, athai, athimbAr,

ammAnji, ammangA gives the exact relationship. The only problem is that akkA's husband is also called athimbAR

and chithi - chithappA and periammA - periappa come in both appA's and ammA's sides!

Dear RR ji,

Uncle/Aunty is very easy to use.

Any father's brother,father's male cousin I call Uncle.

Any father's sister,father's female cousin I call Aunty.

Any mum's brother, mum's male cousin I call Uncle

Any mum's sister,mum's cousin sister I call Aunty.

1st Cousins are ....if our parent are brother or sister with their parent.
2nd cousins are if our parent are 1st cousins with their parent.

Less confusing and no need to remember so many names.

My son calls my both brothers by name so even no problems!

 

[Raji Ram]

Dear Renu,

For a tambram, any man in his / her parent's age group is mAmA and any woman is mAmi! When tambrams

reach middle age, even the people in the same age group are addressed as 'mAmA' - 'mAmi' and

it is a way of addressing with respect!

See...... TBS Sir calls me 'Raji mAmi'. ellAm oru mariyAdhaithAn!

 

[Raji Ram]

When I settled in Vizag soon after my wedding, the unmarried girls in our colony who were in their late

teens and early twenties used to call me Raji mAmi! I used to get upset because I was just 24 then!! out: