Tulu Lesson 42: Family Relationships in Tulu

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Today let us learn some names of family relationships in Tulu. 

Here is a list of relationships and their corresponding words in Tulu.

Tulu	English	Kannada
appae / amma	Mother / Mummy	tAyi / amma
amme / poppa	Father / Daddy	tande / appa
appae-amme	Mother and Father / Parents	tande-tAyi
mage	Son	maga
magal	Daughter	magaLu
bAlae	Child/Kid/Baby	magu
bAlelu / jOkulu	Children	makkaLu
appae-magal	Mother and Daughter	tAyi-magaLu
amme-mage	Father and Son	tande-maga
appae-jOkulu	Mother and Children	tAyi-makkaLu
palaye / aNNe	Elder brother	aNNa
paldi/pali/akka	Elder sister	akka
megye	Younger brother	tamma
megdi / tangaDi	Younger sister	tangi
megye-palayallu	Brothers	aNNa-tammandiru
megdi-paliyallu	Sisters	akka-tangiyandiru
tage-tangaDi	Brother and Sister	aNNa-tangi
ajje	Grand Father	ajja
ajji	Grand Mother	ajji
pijje	Great grand father	muttajja
pijji	Great grand mother	muttajji
pulli	Grand child (Grand son or Grand daughter)	mommagu
talli	Great grand child	mari mommagu
kaNDane /kaNDani	Husband	gaNDa
boDedi	Wife	heNDati
kaNDani-boDedi	Husband and Wife	gaNDa-heDNati
mAma (kaNDane att’NDa boDedina ammer / ammerna megdi att’NDa palina kaNDane)	Father in law / Father’s sister’s husband	mAva
tammalae / mAma (appena megye att’NDa palaye)	Maternal Uncle (Mother’s brother)	sOdara mAva
mAmi (kaNDane att’NDa boDedina appae / ammerna megdi att’NDa pali / appena megye att’NDa palayena boDedi)	Mother in law / Paternal Aunt (Father’s sister or Mother’s brother’s wife)	atte / sOdaratte
marmaye (magalna kaNDane)	Son in law	aLiya
arvatte (megdi att’NDa palina mage)	Nephew (Sister’s son)	sOdaraLiya
marmal (magena boDedi / megdi att’NDa palina magal)	Daughter in law / Niece (Sister’s daughter)	sose
mAmu-marmaye	Father in law and Son in law	mAva-aLiya
mAmi-marmal	Mother in law and Daughter in law	atte-sose
tammalae-arvatte	Uncle (Mother’s brother) and Nephew (Sister’s son)	sOdaramAva-sOdaraLiya
periyappae / mallamma / doDDamma (appena pali / ammerna palayena boDedi)	Mother’s elder sister / Father’s elder brother’s wife	doDDamma
periyamme / doDDappa (ammerna palaye / appena palina kaNDane)	Father’s elder brother / Mother’s elder sister’s husband	doDDappa
tiddappae / elyamma / chikkamma (appena megdi / ammerna megyena boDedi)	Mother’s younger sister / Father’s younger brother’s wife	chikkamma
tiddamme / chikkappa (ammerna megye / appena megdina kaNDane)	Father’s younger brother / Mother’s younger sisters husband	chikkappa
bhAve (palina kaNDane / kaNDanna palaye)	Brother in law (Elder sister’s husband / husband’s elder brother)	bhAva
attai / attigae / bhAbhi (palayena boDedi / kaNDanna pali)	Sister in law (Elder brother’s wife / husband’s elder sister)	attige
maitine (boDedina megye att’NDa palaye / kaNDanna meggye / megdina kaNDane / tammale att’NDa mAmina mage)	Brother in law (Wife’s brother / Husband’s brother / younger sister’s husband) / Cousin (Mother's brother's son and Father's sister's son)	maiduna
maitidi (boDedina megdi att’NDa pali / kaNDanna megdi / megyena boDedi / tammalae att’NDa mAmina magal	Sister in law (Wife’s sister / Husband’s sister / younger brother’s wife) / Cousin (Mother's brother's daughter and Father's sister's daughter)	nAdini

The plural forms of these relation names can be made by adding the suffix ‘allu’ (or aDlu).

Examples:

mage – son

magallu – sons

palaye – Elder brother

palayallu – Elder brothers

megdi – Younger sister

megdyallu – Younger sisters

boDedi – Wife

boDedyallu - Wives

marmal – Daughter in law

marmalallu – Daughters in law

However, the word ‘bAlae’ is considered as a Neuter noun. So, its plural form is ‘bAlelu’ and not ‘bAleyallu’.

Also, to give respect to a single person, we can add the plural suffix ‘er’.

Examples:

amme – ammer

ajje – ajjer

palaye – palayer

tammale – tammaler

bhAve – bhAver

Other words related to family/relationships:

Tulu	English	Kannada
sammandiker	Relatives	sambandhikaru
kuTuma	Family	kuTumba
binner	Guests	neNTaru
ishTer	Friends	geLeyaru
podu	Relationship of connection by marriage	vaivAhika sambandha
podder	Parents in law / relatives by marriage	bIgaru
dOsti	Friend / friendship	geLeya / geLetana
madimae	Marriage/Wedding	maduve
madimal	Bride	madumagaLu
madimaye	Groom	madumaga
nishchaya	Engagement	nishchittArtha
banjinAl	Pregnant woman	garbhiNi
pedmedi	A lying-in woman	bANanti
puru bAlae	Infant (newborn child)	chikka kUsu
amar	Twins	avaLi
bAykae	Baby shower ceremony	sImanta
ill	Home/house	mane
illokkel	House-warming ceremony	griha pravEsha
appae-ill / tamerill	Parental house of a girl	tAyimane / tavarumane
malla mage/magal	Elder son/daughter	hiriya maga/magaLu
elya mage/magal	Younger son/daughter	kiriya maga/magaLu
kaDira mage/magal	The Eldest or first born son/daughter	modala maga/magaLu
naDuvane	The second among three brothers / Intermediate person	madhyadavaNu
naDuvandi	The second among three sisters / Intermediate person	madhyadavaLu

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Bye!