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In:Beyond Binaries in Address Research: Politeness and identity practices in interaction
Edited by Víctor Fernández-Mallat and María Irene Moyna
[Topics in Address Research 6] 2025
► pp. 21–44

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Chapter 2
Kinship terms and teknonyms in Syrian Arabic

An exploration beyond address binaries

Published online: 17 July 2025
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https://doi.org/10.1075/tar.6.02kha
Abstract
This study is devoted to kinship terms and teknonyms as two important categories of address forms in Syrian Arabic. Alongside kinship terms, teknonyms are important markers of identity and politeness in Syrian Arabic. They contrast with first names, which are inappropriate in many contexts, and help avoid them. The study aims to scrutinize the conventional use of these forms in different social and situational contexts, identify their pragmatic meaning, and elucidate how such categories of address transcend traditional address binaries. The data were collected through structured interviews with 100 educated, middle-class Syrians. Our findings indicate that address forms are not mere binary choices; rather, they are a complex phenomenon shaped by sociocultural and contextual factors.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Kinship terms and teknonyms in different dialects of Arabic
    • 2.1Kinship terms
    • 2.2Teknonyms
  • 3.Methodology
  • 4.Analysis of kinship terms and teknonyms in Syrian Arabic
    • 4.1Kinship terms in Syrian communicative culture
      • 4.1.1Syrian kinship terms within the family
      • 4.1.2Kinship terms to address acquaintances
      • 4.1.3Kinship terms to address strangers
      • 4.1.4Pragmatics of kinship terms
    • 4.2Teknonyms
      • 4.2.1Syrian teknonyms within the family setting
      • 4.2.2Teknonyms to address acquaintances
      • 4.2.3Teknonyms to address strangers
      • 4.2.4Pragmatics of teknonyms
  • 5.Syrian Arabic kinship terms and teknonyms beyond binary analyses
  • 6.Final remarks
  • Notes
  • References
References (44)
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