536 



If Romdri, Pudna's father, and Bnrd'ii, Eomdri's younger 

 brother, were present, and Fudna were to call out ^'Inahdi, 

 my father!" both would answer. If Pudna wanted his father 

 he would then specify his call, and say, "Uiniabd'if" (and not 

 "Abdi guhina!" ) But if he were asked by someone present, 

 "Who is that man?" he would say, if Romdri was designed, 

 ''Abdi gubina" ; if • Bard'u was meant, he would say, 

 "Rairabd'i:' 



I asked several of my informants who were a man's nearest 

 kinsmen, and all agreed without hesitation that the man's 

 own brothers (the sisters were not included) were his nearest — ■ 

 his real — relatives ; speaking in Motu, they used the expres- 

 sions: "Vdravdra gauhddabdda ; Ydravdra korikori." This 

 view, held privately by individuals, is entirely in agreement 

 with the "customary or social view," as it might be called, 

 embodied in the rules of inheritance and in the mourning cus- 

 toms (comp. the respective paragraphs: — chap, iv., sec. 6, and 

 .chap, v., sec. 4). 



Some of my informants, though not all, also said that the 

 mother is the nearer relative of the child than the father, 

 pointing out that the child is born of the mother. This view 

 is also endorsed by some of the customs (comp, e.g., mourning 

 ^customs), though it stands in contrast with the fact that the 

 man is undoubtedly at the head of the household. 



Certain relatives cannot be addressed by their own names, 

 and their names are taboo when they are not present (comp. 

 chap, iii., sec. 3). Thus the names of the father and of all 

 his brothers are taboo (Gora). The same is the case with the 

 mother and her sisters. In general, the names of all the rela- 

 tives of all the previous generations (grandfathers, uncles, 

 aunts: Ovdi, Aibo, Aue) SiXe Gora. Nobody would address 

 them with their personal names nor pronounce them in 

 public. The same etiquette is applied also to the other 

 members of the community who belong to generations older 

 than that of the speaker. It was considered very discourteous 

 to address such a person by his, or her, personal name. 

 A classificatory term of relationship would be used in such 

 cases. Again, if the man was a stranger, some term of 

 respect was used. The Motuan, and generally Melanesian, 

 word, Taubdda (great) is now used all along the coast as such 

 a term of respect. 



The brothers, sisters, children, and grandchildren were 

 called, addressed, and spoken of by their personal names. 



