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Kabila

Bilateral descent

Counting relatives on the mother's side and the father's side as equally one's own family.

Also called: cognatic descent

In bilateral descent a person is related equally to both parents' families. There are no clans based on one line only. Each person has a personal circle of relatives, called a kindred, that is a little different from anyone else's. Most people in Europe and the Americas count family this way.

Related words

MatrilinealPatrilinealKinship

Lessons that use this word

Seven peoples, once a week

Every Monday: seven peoples you may never have heard of, who they are and where they live.