The Kyrgyz Concept of ‘Seven Forefathers’

In world languages, kinship systems usually consist of two ascending and two descending generations apart from one’s own generation. Since the kinship terminology is based on the classification of one’s living relatives, general terms are used instead of descriptive terms beyond the second ascending and descending generations. Kyrgyz remains out of this generalization in terms of the use of descriptive terms for each of the seven ascending generations (seven forefathers). This is the result of the necessities of the traditional pastorial/nomadic lifestyle. The principle of seven forefathers (jeti ata) is not only a cultural restriction against marriages between close relatives but also reflects a tradition deeply embedded in the political, religious and cultural conditions of the Central Asian nomadic civilizationbased on tribalism The weakening effect of the urban sedentary lifestyle and its social institutions on the tradition “jeti ata” is merely reinforcing this hypothesis