Tamil Family Relationship Terms

Father's father

Thaatha

Tamil commonly doesn't distinguish paternal vs maternal grandparents in everyday speech.

Father's mother

Paatti

Mother's father

Thaatha

Mother's mother

Paatti

Father

Appa

Mother

Amma

Father's older brother

Periyappa

Literally 'big father,' treated almost like a second father.

Father's younger brother

Chithappa

Literally 'small father.'

Father's sister

Athai

Mother's older brother

Maama

Mother's younger brother

Maama

Mother's sister

Periyamma (if older than your mother) / Chithi (if younger)

Treated like a second mother, the same way periyappa/chithappa are treated like a second father.

Father's older brother's wife

Periyamma

Same word as 'mother's older sister': Tamil groups relatives by parent-equivalent role rather than by side of the family.

Father's younger brother's wife

Chithi

Mother's brother's wife

Mami

Father's sister's husband

Maama (regional variation, sometimes a descriptive term instead)

Reflects the traditional overlap between 'father's sister's husband' and 'mother's brother' as the same marriage-alliance category.

Mother's sister's husband

Periyappa / Chithappa

Mirrors the periyamma/chithi pattern above.

Older brother

Anna

Younger brother

Thambi

Older sister

Akka

Younger sister

Thangai

Father's brother's son

Anna / Thambi

Children of your periyappa/chithappa are treated as siblings, not cousins.

Father's brother's daughter

Akka / Thangai

Father's sister's son

Machaan

A cross-cousin, traditionally a potential marriage partner in Tamil culture. 'Machaan' is now common slang for 'buddy' more broadly.

Father's sister's daughter

Machini

Mother's brother's son

Machaan

Mother's brother's daughter

Machini

Mother's sister's son

Anna / Thambi

Mother's sister's children are parallel cousins too, treated as siblings.

Mother's sister's daughter

Akka / Thangai

Son

Magan

Daughter

Magal

Grandson

Peran

Granddaughter

Pethi

Son-in-law

Mapillai

Daughter-in-law

Marumagal

Brother's son

Anna Magan

Literally 'brother's son,' descriptive rather than one dedicated word.

Sister's son

Marumagan

Also literally means 'son-in-law,' reflecting the tradition of a sister's son marrying into the family.

Brother's daughter

Anna Magal

Sister's daughter

Marumagal

Husband

Kanavan

Wife

Manaivi

Spouse's father

Maama

The same word as 'mother's brother': in traditional Tamil cross-cousin marriage culture, your father-in-law and maternal uncle are often literally the same relationship.

Spouse's mother

Athai

Same word as 'father's sister,' mirroring the father-in-law/maternal-uncle overlap above.

Husband's older brother

Aaya

Husband's younger brother

Maccan

Regional variation; some families use 'Machaan' here too.

Husband's sister

Nathanaar

Wife's brother

Maaman

Wife's sister

Kola thangachi

Brother's wife

Anni

Sister's husband

Machaan