The following is an excerpt from a journal by a Feldonian Missionary from Archior on the peculiarities of the Halak culture and the terminologies that are most often used in daily life:
From my observations of the Hallak peoples, unlike the other folk of the Neacordian Island, the Hallak peoples seem to have a distinctly peculiar yet heavy emphasis on ties of kinship and family. Unlike most civilized peoples on Orbis, there is not too much distinction between a person of common birth and a member of the elite or aristocracy. While Hallak societies are ruled by a collection of Kings or Priest-Kings, they do not separate each other in terms of being of ‘Royal Blood’ or ‘Lowly Origin’ and this may be due in fact that the Halak claim descent from a single eponymous ‘King of the Hallak’ and they organise themselves into clan units that each have meticulous record keeping in order to trace their lineage back to the near-mythological figure of the Si Raja Halak. For these people, the term ‘Each man is his own king’ might have more merit to it. And it is because of the meticulous record keeping when it comes to the male members of the Hallak peoples and a stringent and sophisticated system of familial ties, many terms exist within the Halak tongue to differentiate and distinguish between different family members. Among others, I have compiled a general but nowhere near comprehensive list of Hallak familial terms.
Among/Amang/Ama/Bapak: Father
Inong/Inang/Ina/Mamak: Mother
Haha/Abang: Older brother. (in Halak culture it is considered very rude to refer to someone older than oneself by only their names without any honorifics or prefixes. The Prefix of Abang would be ‘Bang’.)
Kakak: Older sister. (Honorific prefix → ‘Kak’)
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Anggi: Younger brother. In general.
Ito: Brother/sister of the same clan, depending on who's saying it. It has to be called between siblings or kinsmen of the opposite gender. Siblings can also be called using this term regardless of age or seniority.
Bapatua/Amangtua: Uncle, specifically either the older brother of one's father or the husband of the older female sibling of one's mother.
Bapauda/Amanguda/Uda: Uncle, specifically either the younger brother of one's father or the husband of the younger female sibling of one's mother.
Mamatua/Inangtua: Aunt, specifically either the older sister of one's mother or the wife of the older male sibling of one's father.
Mamauda/Inanguda: Aunt, specifically either the younger sister of one's mother or the wife of the younger male sibling of one's father.
Namboru/Bou: Female sibling of one's father, regardless of age.
Amangboru: Husband of one's Namboru.
Tulang: Male sibling of one's mother regardless of age.
Nantulang: Wife of one's Tulang
Lae: Cousin between males. Either the son of one's Tulang or the Son of one’s namboru.
Pariban: Cousin. For males → the daughter of one's Tulang. For females → the son of one's Namboru. In Halak society, pariban are the only type of cousin one is permitted (or even sometimes expected) to marry without it being considered incest.
Any other type of cousin is considered to be one's sibling and is prohibited from being married to.
The Halak are not allowed under any circumstances to marry any other Halak who are of the same clan as it is considered incest and is blasphemous regardless of how many times removed or how many generations lie in between the two individuals wanting to be wed. This is called a ‘Tarito’.
No Halak man - under any circumstance - is allowed to take a woman whose mother is of the same clan as his own. Otherwise this is called a ‘Tarito’.
No Halak man - without very special dispensations - is allowed to take a woman whose mother is of the same clan as his own mother. Otherwise this is called a ‘Tartullang’.
Ompung: Grandparent
Ompung Doli: Grandfather
Ompung Boru: Grandmother
Apara/Pra: Two men of the same clan. Kinsman.
The Halak consider their cousins to be equal to their siblings and their uncles/aunt's (specifically their Inangs and Amangs) to be their parents as well.