Malayalam has no ordinary word for brother. It has a word for elder brother and a word for younger brother, and you must choose. This is the full Malayalam kinship system, one of the most studied family structures in the history of anthropology. I am Dr. Reshmi R. Nair, an applied linguist from Kerala. I have taught hundreds of learners to speak Malayalam as it is actually spoken. THE HOUSEHOLD അച്ഛൻ - achchan - father അമ്മ - amma - mother മകൻ - makan - son മകൾ - makal - daughter ഭർത്താവ് - bharthaavu - husband ഭാര്യ - bhaarya - wife SIBLINGS ARE GRADED BY AGE ചേട്ടൻ - chettan - elder brother അനിയൻ - aniyan - younger brother ചേച്ചി - chechi - elder sister അനിയത്തി - aniyathi - younger sister The elder-sibling word doubles as respect for any slightly older stranger. That is why you call a bus conductor ചേട്ടാ (chettaa) and a shopkeeper ചേച്ചി (chechi). The kinship system leaks out of the family and organises the entire street. UNCLES AND AUNTS: THE REAL ARCHITECTURE വലിയച്ഛൻ - valiyachchan - father's elder brother (literally BIG FATHER) ചെറിയച്ഛൻ - cheriyachchan - father's younger brother (SMALL FATHER) വലിയമ്മ - valiyamma - big mother (their wives, and mother's elder sister) ചെറിയമ്മ - cheriyamma - small mother അമ്മാവൻ - ammaavan - mother's brother (his own word entirely) അപ്പച്ചി / അമ്മായി - appachi / ammaayi - father's sister THE SYSTEM BEHIND IT Father's brothers are classified as fathers. Mother's sisters are classified as mothers. But mother's brother and father's sister get separate words of their own. That is the Dravidian kinship system, built on a distinction English does not make: parallel relatives (reached through two same-sex siblings) versus cross relatives (reached through a brother and a sister). Which uncle in your family would be an അമ്മാവൻ? Comment below. #LearnMalayalam #Malayalam #SpeakMalayalam