phratry
/ˈfɹætɹi/ noun
Forms phratries
- noun (Ancient Greece) A clan or kinship group consisting of a number of families claiming descent from a common ancestor and having certain collective functions and responsibilities.
- noun (anthropology, dated) A former kinship division consisting of two or more distinct clans with separate identities but considered to be a single unit.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Latin phrātria, from Ancient Greek φρατρία (phratría, “tribe, clan”), from φράτηρ (phrátēr) + -ία (-ía).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A subdivision of a phyle, or tribe, in Athens.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “phratry”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details