By Raphael Warjri
Natural resources are generally masculine, while composite formations are feminine. Similarly, modern items have specific gendered terminology in the Khasi language. For example, words for objects like computers, phones, television, and boxes are feminine, while items like electric or telephone posts, towers, and writing pens are masculine.
Some items have identical functions but different genders, such as televisions being feminine while remote controls are masculine. There are also instances where the same material can have different genders depending on its condition or form. For example, a tree trunk may be masculine, while branches and twigs could be either masculine or feminine. Once the trunk is chopped into logs or wood, it becomes feminine.
Overall, the gendering of elements in the Khasi language reflects a deep cultural understanding and categorization of the world around them.
These observations indeed provide interesting insights into the potential relationship between linguistic gendering and matrilineal systems. The distinction between protruded and erected single elements being masculine and enclosed composite structures being feminine aligns with certain aspects of traditional gender roles within matrilineal societies. In many matrilineal cultures, men are often associated with external roles involving erecting structures or engaging in activities that protrude into the external environment, such as hunting or defense.
Similarly, the association of primary elements with femininity and subsequent transformations with masculinity reflects a deep understanding of natural processes. Water, for example, as a primary element associated with femininity, undergoes various transformations such as evaporation (feminine), rainfall (masculine), and freezing into ice (masculine). This could symbolize the nurturing and life-giving aspects of water as feminine, while its transformative and consequential effects are seen as masculine.
Conversely, when the primary element is masculine and the consequence is feminine, it may signify the nurturing or transformative aspect of masculinity. For example, the raw rice grain (masculine) undergoes a transformative process through cooking, resulting in cooked rice (feminine). Similarly, limestone (masculine) undergoes processing to become lime paste or cake (feminine).
These observations suggest a nuanced understanding of gender roles and natural processes within the context of matrilineal societies. Further academic study and exploration could shed more light on the intricate relationship between linguistic gendering, cultural practices, and worldview in these societies.
The universal nature of the feminine is beauty and its ability to reproduce, even if it is a female element. In the Khasi concept, it is considered a common gender after attaining the status of motherhood, signifying parenthood, which encompasses both mother and father together. In civil administration, the chieftain is addressed as the mother – ‘U Syiem U Kmie’ or a parental arbiter. The thumb, as a vital component of fingers, is regarded as the mother finger or ‘Kti Kmie’ or simply ‘Tikmie’. The initial furuncle, with its probability of spreading or giving birth to several boils in the body, is regarded as the mother boil or ‘Tohjaw Kmie’, while the furuncle or any boil is considered masculine. The language itself is feminine, and the core language is termed the mother tongue. The imitation of the speech of a young child by a male or female adult is known as motherese. The sound practical judgment or good sense by any male or female person is considered mother wit. The newly born male or female infant, with or without clothing, is called mother naked. The imaginary author of a collection of nursery rhymes is known as the Mother Goose. The main vein of ore in a deposit is the mother lode. The cell from which another cell of an organism (usually of a different sort) develops is the mother cell. The nation or the original habitat of an ethnic community is called the Motherland or Mother Country, and in the Indian context, there is a Hindi word ‘Matribhoomi’. The core element or the main circuit board in the central processing unit of a computer is called the Mother Board. The mother in Khasi expression is addressed as ‘Mei’, and the consequence of creation is known as ‘Long’, like the origin for the Shillong city is derived from the Shyllong peak, with the initial pronunciation being ‘Shulong’, meaning self-created. Hence, the words Long and Mei are associated with creation and production, and the meaning of the English words ‘core’ or ‘source’, as the origin for any creation or production, is known as ‘Tyllong’ and ‘Thymmei’, respectively. In contrast, the parental term of a father will be out of context in any of these phrases, and perhaps only the word fatherland, which means the same as motherland, is hardly used in every sense of the term. The mother is central to everything for every being in the celestial, terrestrial, and subterranean realms. Therefore, there is the obvious term Mother Earth and Mother Nature, and further in the Khasi context, the Mother Sun or ‘Meingi’, the green environmental habitation ‘Meirilung’, and the seasoned environmental habitation ‘Meirisan’. Genetic science has also authenticated that the mother is the core of heredity for all beings, and for human beings, the mitochondrial organism.
THE GENESIS OF MATERNAL CLAN
In Khasi mythology, the genesis of mankind is rooted in the Sohpetbneng, known as the heavenly umbilical or navel. It is believed that human beings descended from heaven through a golden vine atop the Sohpetbneng peak. During a golden era of righteousness, sixteen groups or huts of celestial beings communicated with the terrestrial realm. However, after the giant Diengïei tree fell, the golden vine detached from the earth. While nine huts remained in heaven, seven huts stayed on earth. These seven huts are considered the ancestral progeny of humankind.
The original settlement of these sevenhuts was in the surrounding areas of Sohpetbneng. Archeological excavations at Law Nongthroh have uncovered traces of ancient settlements, relics, antiques, megaliths, and ossuaries all over the surrounding territory. It is hypothesized that initially, there could have been seven clans that settled, prospered, and spread across the globe. Each segment of the sevenhuts represents a particular maternal clan that has descended into several Khasi matrilineal clans or ‘Kur’ till today.
The original clan is known as ‘Ka Kur Ka Jait’, while the subsequent offshoot is known as ‘Ka Jait Ka Khong’. In Khasi matrilineal interpretation, ‘Kur’ represents the matured clan, ‘Jait’ denotes the derivative from inter-community marriage, and ‘Khong’ signifies an acquired identity from the immediate maternal family. Therefore, ‘Ka Kur Ka Jait’ refers to the whole clan, while ‘Ka Jait Ka Khong’ refers to the specific surname in a clan.
Contemporary evidence suggests that initially, there were seven clans or ‘Kur’ among the sevenhuts, and through the ages, this number has risen to around eight thousand clans in the Khasi community as of today.
The tradition of clan creation is strictly adhered to according to the customary practices of the matrilineal system. It is not merely adopting a title or surname of the family; instead, it entails establishing the proper clan name from the mother. In some cases, it may even involve invocation and consecration through ritual and ceremony dedicated to the mother cult, although this is not compulsory.
The ossuary of the first ancestral mother, known as ‘Mawbah’, serves as the temple for the generation of descendants traced through the lineage of every mother of the clan. Upon the passing of each descending mother and maternal uncle, nephews, and nieces, they are commemorated with individual stone receptacles called ‘Mawshyieng’, which contain their bones collected after cremation. Periodically, all the bones of departed clan members, regardless of their location, are deposited at the main ossuary of the first ancestral mother. This process is accompanied by rituals and ceremonies aimed at purifying and cleansing the spirits of the departed souls.
In cases of natural calamities or encounters with strangers, temporary nomenclature may be assigned to categorize the identity of individuals or groups who are isolated from their clan members. This temporary identity remains until the situation is resolved.
During marriage ceremonies, both the bride and groom are required to disclose their maternal clan to ensure they are not violating any forbidden taboo or sacrilege. Those who are unaware of their clan origin must consecrate or acquire a clan surname, usually starting with the individual female or daughters among siblings, before they can marry. The newly acquired or consecrated clan name remains for generations to come.
