42 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I33 



look at me," She was offended at this. A girl named Rosa was nick- 

 named Mas Cosa by schoolmates because of a story in a reader en- 

 titled "La Rosa Mas Cosa"; at home she was called Suspirado de 

 Laureles (sighing of the laurels). Children answer to nicknames. 



Adults, too, have nicknames. A man was called Pizarro because 

 he was a domineering person; another was called Miner because he 

 was caught digging for something unknown to the namer. A woman 

 was called The Dancer because she was born while her mother was 

 dancing. Children are thought to be disrespectful when using nick- 

 names of adults when speaking of them. Quoting a teacher: "Re- 

 cently a child came to me, angry and hurt, and said, 'He talked about 

 my father and used a bad name!' 'No, no, he wouldn't do that,' I 

 replied. 'Yes, he did. He called him Turco' (native of Turkey, his 

 father's nickname ; probably an implication of being non-Arauca- 

 nian)." 



Elders often call a girl by the diminutive of either her Araucanian 

 or her Christian name as an expression of affection. 



THE FAMILY 

 STATUS IN THE COMMUNITY 



In the early days there were both polygynous and monogamous 

 households. Today, with few exceptions, families are monogamous. 

 (Pis. 20; 21, i; 22, I.) 



The family of a cacique and those of his sons and daughters were — 

 and still are— expected to be exemplary ones. Each member is ex- 

 pected to have stamina, self-respect, and courage, and to be helpful 

 and law-abiding. Informants made it a point to say of another that 

 he or she was the son or daughter of a cacique ; if the person deserved 

 praise, it was given with satisfaction ; if his conduct was not in 

 conformity with the approved pattern, it was mentioned with regret 

 and censure. All familes, however, whose members live according to 

 customary social standards and whose economic status is adequate 

 have about them an air of independence and self-respect and are 

 respected by others. 



Wealth is measured in ownership of property which must include a 

 ruka, land, oxen, cattle, and sheep. In general, a family owns enough 

 land and animals to supply its needs. No one was found, during the 

 present study, to own an excessive amount of anything — to do so 

 may arouse jealousy. Jealousy is avenged, it is believed, with dis- 

 aster, brought about through black art. "Any man here [Coiiaripe] 

 is rich if he has 50 to 60 sheep and more land than he needs for 



