Malayalam family relations
Extended family
Malayalam kinship terms for grandparents, uncles, aunts and in-laws. Words vary by region and community — appūppan/ammūmma in the south, muttacchan/muttaśśi elsewhere — and the ammāvan (maternal uncle) held special authority in Kerala's old matrilineal households. Content generated with AI assistance and pending native-speaker review.
അപ്പൂപ്പൻ / മുത്തച്ഛൻ
appūppan / muttacchan
Grandfather
അമ്മൂമ്മ / മുത്തശ്ശി
ammūmma / muttaśśi
Grandmother
വല്യച്ഛൻ
valyacchan
Father's elder brother
Also used for mother's elder sister's husband
ചെറിയച്ഛൻ / കൊച്ചച്ചൻ
ceṟiyacchan / koccaccan
Father's younger brother
വല്യമ്മ
valyamma
Mother's elder sister / Father's elder brother's wife
ചെറിയമ്മ / കുഞ്ഞമ്മ
ceṟiyamma / kuññamma
Mother's younger sister / Father's younger brother's wife
അമ്മാവൻ
ammāvan
Mother's brother (maternal uncle)
Tamil says māmā; in Malayalam māmā is rarely used
അമ്മായി
ammāyi
Father's sister / Mother's brother's wife
അമ്മായിയപ്പൻ
ammāyiyappan
Father-in-law
അമ്മായിയമ്മ
ammāyiyamma
Mother-in-law
ചേട്ടത്തിയമ്മ / ഏടത്തി
cēṭṭattiyamma / ēṭatti
Elder brother's wife
അളിയൻ
aḷiyan
Brother-in-law (sister's husband / wife's brother)
നാത്തൂൻ
nāttūn
Sister-in-law (husband's sister / brother's wife)
മരുമകൻ
marumakan
Son-in-law / Nephew (sister's son)
The double meaning reflects the old marumakkattāyam (matrilineal) inheritance system
മരുമകൾ
marumakaḷ
Daughter-in-law / Niece (sister's daughter)
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