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Kinship terms exhibit composition of the society and the role relationship between various interlocutors. Kinship term is one where linguists usually treat with some caution as it belongs to anthropology.
The importance of Kinship may be explained as ‘Kinship embraces connections people trace to each other through notions of shared substance, be it a greater or lesser emphasis, at different historical moments and in different parts of the world; on the creation and maintenance of social relationships through intimacies of care and effort. This is a potent combination with which to imagine relations of all kinds not just the family kind’ Edwards Jeanette (2000:27).
Linguists, who had interest in kinship system, restricted themselves to obtaining the linguistic data through which the social organization can be familiarized. Kom, despite its presumably common socio-cultural make up, may offer very distinct and varying kinship systems and kinship terms.
Non-affinal relations are those that an ego acquires by birth and not because of entering into a marriage alliance
Great grand kinsmen are kinsmen more than two generation. They are: - (a) Great Grand Father (Father’s side) - A+ pu thou (b) Great Grand Mother (Father’s side) - A+Pithou (c) Great Grand Father (Mother’s side) - A+Puthou (d) Great Grand mother (Mother’s side) - A+Pithou (e) Man’s Great Grandchild (male) - Tunoh (f) Man’s Great Grandchild (female) - Tunoh (g) Woman’s Great Grandchild (male) - Tunoh (h) Woman’s Great Grandchild (Female) - Tunoh
Grand Kinsmen are kinsmen more than one generation. The possible they are:- (a) Grand father (father’s side) - Pu (b) Grandmother (father’s side) - Pi (c) Grand father (mother’s side) - Pu (d) Grandmother (mother’s side) - Pi (e) Man’s Grand child (male) - Tupa (f) Man’s grand child (female) - Tunu
(a) Father- Pa (b) Mother- Nu (c) Father’s Elder Brother: A/pa kalen (e) Father’s younger Brother: A/pakasin
Affinal kinsmen are acquired after establishing a marriage relationship pertain to two broad divisions one from the husband’s and he other from the wife’ sides. The relationships are acquired through marriage of husband on wife siblings.
Siblings refer to one or more people sharing the same parents. In Kom the younger siblings are referred to as / naite/ and addressed as /tete / for older siblings/boite/ and /boinu is used as reference and /naipang/ as address term. /upapa milaipa/ /matumpa/ is used as reference term for Elder and Middle Brother and for the youngest son, and for girl child / nu/ is used in place of /pa/ as a reference term. It is clearly seen that /a-/ is prefixed to the root so as to derived the reference term. In Kom, term of reference /au/ and /upapen/ are used for Elder Sister and brother. For the youngest Sister name is also used. There is no separate term differentiating the brothers and sisters.
In Kom, there is no such term for cousins the cousins are addressed as / ser-sah/ and / unao /. These address terms are used only for that girl younger by a boy or to describe their relation. /Unao/ simply means relative. And for those younger to them, they address them by their names. /Au/ is also used for the cousin older to them for both the sexes.
In Kom /sa/ is a cover term for both sons and daughter, where as /boinu/ and /boipu/ is used as an address term for young boys and girls including their own children. GRAND CHILDREN (g). In kom, the address term for grandchild is /tu? /. The term of reference for a male grand child is tupa/ and for female grandchild is / tunu. There is no reference term separately for sons and daughters children. From the above data, we can say that /tu? / is the cover term for both the male and female grand children. /pa/ and /nu/ is used to differentiate male grandchild and female grandchild. Great Grand Children (Gz). /tu? / as mentioned above is a term for grand children if/no?/ is suffixed to /tu?/. It means great grand children now we’ll have a tuno? at, the term of reference and address for great grand children, i.e. from male and female.
Patrilineal. Child gets father’s name. Son and daughter both get property. Youngest son runs house. Girl gets bride price.
Village council governs their villages with the chief of the village as its head their society is divided into social groups, which are again sub divided into smaller groups. The Clan is the biggest social group and reflects in ascertaining at final relationship. These clans, which are exogamous in nature, are Karong, Saicha, Leivon, Tellein, Serto, and l and Hmangte. Descent is traced exclusively through the male line. The youngest male issue of the family looks after the ancestral home and inherits the property.
They do observe a number of festivals and other ceremonies both social and religious in nature.
| Festivals/rites/ritual/Ceremonies | Month | |
| Kom | English | |
| Seling, Belaro, Lukasun Lhungphung, Khongnangkhong | Matai | March |
| Cheiraoba | Martum | April |
| Kasalai | Karani | September |
| Lamkut | Eartha | October |
These are:
Seling - Erection of wood
Belam - Erection of bamboo on the top of which is placed a bird to be targeted for arrow shooting thereby testing valour.
Lukasun - Offering last rite to deceased persons where the remains (bones) are cleansed with the wine and wrapped in the clean white clothes and kept in the corner of the ancestral grave known as thanpui of the clan. It usually occurs after three months from the day of burial. It was practiced by the people of the old faith, before the advent of Christianity in the society.
Lhungphung - Erection of mega stone in remembrance of the person mainly after his or her death. It is also done while the person is alive.
Khongnanghong - Performance of festival for a big banyan tree in his name so as to retain his name after death.
Cheiraoba - New Years Festival of the old faith based on the old Manipuri calendar.
Hlodei - Wedding rite.
Lamkut - At dusk, song and dance (Lamkut lam) are held in every house, accompanied by feast to sanctify them and to keep their houses as sacred places through out the current year. Its period continues for one month.
Mother anu Father apa Older sister Aunu Younger sister FN and PN, naUnu Older brother Aupa, Au-FN Younger brother FN, PN, naUpa Stranger man old man Apu old woman Api In office male clerk oja female clerk oja
oja added before FN
Greeting: old man/woman la kAdAm che mo ‘how is your health’ Departure: lei dAm ri ‘let’s keep well’; Inmu nok ri ‘we’ll meet again’ mAng tha ‘sweet dream= good night=good bye’
One day has five parts—jIngkar ‘morning’ (before lunch), sun ’noon’, khUleitIn (about sunset) ’evening’, khUlei ‘night’, jantim ‘midnight’
Week =, month=, year= , (12 months)
Handspan ‘khap khat’; two fists joined together with both thumbs=1 ft
Koms believe in Jesus; some animism left, e.g. don’t whistle at night inside the house, otherwise bad things may happen. Don’t burn a crab in the forest, or the tiger will come. Dead bodies buried.
Koms are mostly Christians, even thought some of them still practice the animism and worshipping of trees and other natural elements.
Non Christian Koms believe in two deities - Pathen, the supreme one and Lungjei. Pathen is creator of all living being and the Universe in consultation with his brother Lungjei; they also worship Inn -lai as their household god and offer pujas to other sprits. They also believe in the existence of soul after death and Heaven and hell are abodes of these souls. With the advent of Christianity, the pastor and church elders replace the village priest. They have also abandoned the practice of magic -both black and white for which they were once famous. The Koms are and were self-sufficient in their economy. Theirs is, on the whole, an agricultural society. They practice both shifting and wet cultivation. Not only do they cultivate their staple food rice, they also grow potatoes, which had been imported by Rev. William Pettigrew, the first missionary who came to Manipur. They also cultivate millet, yam and sugarcane. Domesticated animals include pigs, fowls, goats, cows, buffaloes and dogs etc.
Their society is divided into social groups, which are again sub divided into smaller groups. The Clan is the biggest social group and reflects in ascertaining at final relationship. These clans, which are exogamous in nature, are Karong, Saicha, Leivon, Tellein, serto, and Hmangte. Descent is traced exclusively through the male line. The youngest male issue of the family looks after the ancestral home and inherits the property.
In Pre- Christian days and even to these days upto some extent, marriage of a son was to be arranged by the parents. For a male member, his mother's brother's daughter was the mate prescribed by the society. But parallel cousins marriage is forbidden in kom society. The marrying groom had to serve at his father-in-law’s house for three years. This custom was known as Numhei-hle. The alternate form of acquiring bride was to pay bride price or mangkat for three times. At times this creates havoc because of its excessiveness. At present, bride is secured by mutual consent.
There has been sharp increase in the literacy rate and the number of services in various modern occupations. According to the survey conducted by the Komrem Baptist Churches Association (KRBCA) workers, 90% literacy rate has been reported, based on the biblical knowledge of reading and writing.
The proverbs in Kom are: Ting le lung Tade Pa chu mi kathi phung , Wood & stone stacked man that man die usually Takka mi kade pa chu mi thi phung mak. But man stack man that man die usually not. There is no harm to be under somebody or Being humble. Tirnum jang in thli nuhmu jang ashak Obedient person gets most of the favour IDIOMS Malei kasei mi ‘liar’ Tongue long man Malei kasei tong kahri pathen in madumak Tongue long word tell God NOM like not ‘God forbids telling lie’ ABUSES Abusive word Ui Pa (dog) is used for male and Uipui (bitch) for female. Invet mak ro? Ui pa “you dog, don’t be crazy” Hey uipui! injak mak che mo?hin hong ro? ‘Hey bitch! Don’t you fell shy? Come here’. Another, commonly used abusive word is Ui-su (bitch’s genital) Hiva hi chu tha mak, Uisu apo ‘this is not good; it (looks) like bitch’s private part.
6 clans, different names, first born child may be named after grand parents; many names are associated with events, e.g. Japan Singh.
Naming ceremony done on the seventh day after birth, done by Pastor in presence of elders. Marriage: boy goes to girl, parents to parents. Death: buried.
In Pre- Christian days and even today upto some extent, marriage of a son was to be arranged by the parents. For a male member, his mother's brother's daughter was the mate prescribed by the society. But parallel cousins marriage is forbidden in kom society. The marrying groom had to serve at his father-in-law’s house for three years. This custom was known as Numhei-hle. The alternate form of acquiring bride was to pay bride price or mangkat for three times. At times this creates havoc because of its excessiveness. At present, bride is secured by mutual consent.
Rice is staple food, non-veg., prohibited animals—sick and dead animals; dogs, crows, vultures etc. prohibited. Karung clan cannot eat cat, tiger etc.; Mangte clan cannot eat food served in ‘UnthUna’ leaves. Drink ‘waIju’ a kind of rice beer, jukha = country made liquor. 88The Koms are and were self-sufficient in their economy. Theirs is, on the whole, an agricultural society. They practice both shifting and wet cultivation. Not only do they cultivate their staple food rice, they also grow potatoes, which had been imported by Rev. William Pettigrew, the first missionary who came to Manipur. They also cultivate millet, yam and sugarcane. Domesticated animals include pigs, fowls, goats, cows, buffaloes and dogs etc.
Men wear dir ‘a kind of long thin towel’, and stitched shirt and shawl; woman wear kine.
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