Keeping Mum: An Exploration of Contemporary Kinship Terminology in British, American and Swedish Cultures

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to briefly clarify the categorization and usage of kinship terms in American and British English in comparison with the Swedish kinship terms, both considering the vocative use and the referential function. There will also be a comparison with previous studies. The Swedish language contains considerably more detailed definitions for kinship. By choosing mostly informants with experience of both language cultures, this paper will investigate and explore whether English speakers themselves experience this as a lack of kinship vocabulary, and in what circumstances supplementary explanation is needed to clarify the identities of referents and addressees.  It will further be established how and when the use of such terms can give rise to misunderstandings or confusion. Kinship terms will also be considered in connection with the present social and cultural environment. Seemingly, the use of kin terms has changed over recent decades and there appears to be etymological, lexicological and semantic causes for such misunderstandings. This essay research was conducted using interviews in which informants relate their experiences of language changes as well as regional variations with respect to how family members and relatives are addressed or referred to. Kinship terms are insightful and important within the field of genealogy and have implications for diverse disciplines such as law, church history, genetics, anthropology and popular custom. Interestingly, kinship terms can be found to be used where there is no existing kinship at all. They also have a great impact on daily communication in terms of respect and relations, and as expressions of empathy, responsibility and solidarity.     Key words: American English, anthropology, British English, communication, culture, etymology, genealogy, kinship terms, referential, relations, respect, social control, Swedish, vocatives