Hindus believe that the family is the foundation of society.
The idealized Hindu family is a multigenerational joint family made up of aged parents, adult sons, and the families of their sons.
Because the girls will live with their husbands' families after marriage and are regarded their property, the boys are considered the family's nucleus.
When families get too big, or when tensions between brothers become intolerable, these joint families split up into smaller houses, and the trend continues.
For all potential familial links, Hindu families have various names.
Although the term "aunt" may refer to the sister of either one's father or one's mother in English, separate names exist in northern Indian languages for each.
Some of this is due to the greater prestige associated with the father's or husband's side of the family, and some is due to proximity, since these relatives are more likely to live together in a joint family or in close proximity.
These distinctions demarcate the important lines of Indian households, which favor the father's side.
One notable phrase is the name for the wife's brother (sala), which is often used as a derogatory epithet in current times.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
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