Clan
A
clan is a group of people united by
kinship and descent, which is defined by perceived descent from a common ancestor. Even if actual lineage patterns are unknown, clan members nonetheless recognize a founding member or
apical ancestor. As kinship based bonds can be merely symbolical in nature some clans share a "stipulated" common ancestor, which is a symbol of the clan's unity. When this ancestor is not human, this is referred to as animallian
totem. Generally speaking, kinship differs from biological relation, as it also involves adoption, marriage, and fictive genealogical ties. Clans can be most easily described as sub-groups of tribes and usually constitute groups of 7000 to 10 000 people.
Some clans are
patrilineal, meaning its members are related through the male line; for example, the clans of Armenia. Others are
matrilineal; its members are related through the female line. Still other clans are
bilateral, consisting of all the descendants of the apical ancestor through both the male and female lines; the
clans of Scotland are one example. Whether a clan is patrilineal, matrilineal, or bilateral depends on the kinship rules and norms of their society.
In different cultures and situations a clan may mean the same thing as other kin-based groups such as
tribes and
bands. Often, the distinguishing factor is that a clan is a smaller part of a larger
society such as a tribe, a
chiefdom, or a
state. Examples include
Irish,
Scottish,
Chinese, and
Japanese clans, which exist as kin groups within their respective nations. Note, however, that tribes and bands can also be components of larger societies.
Arab tribes are small groups within Arab society, and
Ojibwa bands are smaller parts of the Ojibwa tribe.
Apart from these different traditions of kinship, further conceptual confusion arises from colloquial usages of the term. In post-Soviet countries for example it is quite common to speak of clans referring to informal networks within the economic and political sphere. This usage reflects the assumption that their members act towards each other in a particularly close and mutually supportive way approximating the solidarity among kinsmen.However, the
Norse clans, the
ätter, can not be translated with
tribe or
band, and consequently they are often translated with
house or
line.
Polish clans differ from most others in being a collection of
families bearing the same
coat of arms, as opposed to actually claiming a common descent. This is discussed under the topic of
Polish Heraldry.
Most clans are
exogamous, meaning that its members cannot marry one another. Some clans have an official leader such as a
chieftain,
matriarch, or
patriarch.The word clan, comes from the
Gaelic 'Clannad' meaning
family, especially extended family.
*
Fis, clans of the country's
northern highlands.
*
Tohm, clans of
Armenian nobility.
*
List of Indigenous Australian group names.
*
Teip*
Tukkhum*
Chinese clan*
Chinese family name*
Consort clanChinese In Hong Kong
The five Great
Han Chinese Punti Clans in
Hong Kong are:
*
Tang clan, arrived in Hong Kong in
1069*
Hau clan, arrived in the 12th century
*
Pang clan, arrived in the 12th century
*
Man clan, arrived in
1307*
Liu clan, arrived in the 15th century
*
Irish clans*
Chiefs of the Name*
Sept (social)*
Maratha Clan System*
Japanese clans*
Korean clan*
Korean name*
List of Manchu clans*
Manchu family name*
Norse clans*
Scottish clans
*
Serb clans*
Somali clans
With the dawn of the internet and with many households now containing computers with a broadband connection, multiplayer gaming has become a popular hobby. In multiplayer gaming, the word clan is used to mean a group of people who play competitively against other people using organized tactics. Often clans are named after real or fictitious military divisions and require a short abbreviated prefix before one's actual call-sign.
See:
Clan (computer gaming)*
Tribe*
Wu-Tang Clan
