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Glite Dictionary
phratry

phratry

1 9.9
A group of clans or families that claim one common ancestor
  • noun
  • /ˈfrætri/
  • Specialized
: fratria
  • Within the ancient society, different phratry members would gather to celebrate their cultural traditions.
  • phratry of tribes

Examples

  • The term, requickening, also applies to the power to heal the sorely wounded body and soothe the grief-stricken mind of a sorrowing cousin phratry of tribes.

    Academic text (1995)

  • In some Indigenous cultures, a phratry consists of multiple clans that trace their lineage to a common ancestor.

  • The phratry played a vital role in the social structure, connecting various families through shared heritage.

Synonyms

phyle
vsphratry
1 9.9

A group of citizens in ancient Athens that organizes public and political life

focuses on kinship descent groups rather than political or civic divisions
phratria
vsphratry
  • Archaic
9.9

A group of related families in ancient Greece with shared religious and social roles

is a general anthropological term for such kinship groups across societies

Surface Forms

phratry singular
phatries plural

Etymology

The word phratry comes from the old Greek word phratria, which meant 'brother group' and is like the English word fraternity. So a phratry is a group of clans or families who see themselves as one 'brotherhood' sharing a common ancestor.