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Family

Three roots build the whole family: pari parent, nino child, and maris marry. Everyone else is a compound of those, or a short chain of them.

Family roots

PikotikaMeaning
paria parent, parents
ninoa child, children; offspring
maristo marry; married
vemaa woman; female
viroa man; male
mena group

The close family

PikotikaLiterallyMeaning
parimenparent-group family, relative, relatives
pariparent a parent, parents
vemapariwoman-parent mother
viropariman-parent father
ninochild child, children
vemaninowoman-child daughter; girl
vironinoman-child son; boy
novaninonew-child baby
sampariomosame-parent-person brother or sister, sibling
samparivemasame-parent-woman sister
samparivirosame-parent-man brother
marisomomarry-person spouse
marisvemamarry-woman wife
marisviromarry-man husband
paripariparent-parent grandparent
ninoninochild-child grandchild
vetuspariold-parent ancestors

The words without vema or viro are the everyday ones. Add a gender root when helps distinguish which person you're referring to, or in cases (like sampariomo) where the gender-neutral word is no easier. Also remember that in Pikotika, nouns serve as both singular and plural.

PikotikaMeaning
Tu pari ri kermoto?How are your parents?
Tisomo ri eko samparivema.She's my sister.
Eko ri pipe a arpoaku kum eko viropari.I drink tea with my father.
Eko vetuspari ri vons Itaria.My ancestors are from Italy.

Older and younger

PikotikaLiterallyMeaning
anyomekayear-bigold
anyopikoyear-smallyoung
mas anyomeka samparivemamore year-big same-parent-woman an older sister
mas anyopiko sampariviromore year-small same-parent-man a younger brother
piko ninosmall child the little one, the youngest
PikotikaMeaning
Tu anyoturan ri ker?How old are you?
Eko anyoturan ri 34.I'm 34 years old.
Tu nino anyoturan ri ker?How old are your children?
Eko ri mas anyomeka vons pan.I'm the oldest.
Mas anyomeka nino ri impar in mekaimparroko.The older child is studying at university.

Everyone else is a chain

There are no separate words for aunts, cousins or in-laws. Name the path instead, one step at a time — a possessive is just a modifier, so the steps stack like eko viropari kase ‘my father's house’.

PikotikaMeaning
eko pari sampariomomy parent's sibling — an aunt or uncle
eko vemapari samparivemamy mother's sister
eko viropari sampariviromy father's brother
eko sampariomo ninomy sibling's child — a niece or nephew
eko vemapari parimy mother's parents — grandparents on my mother's side
eko marisomo parimy spouse's parents — my in-laws
eko marisomo sampariviromy spouse's brother — a brother-in-law
eko nino marisomomy child's spouse — a son- or daughter-in-law

A cousin is one step longer — the child of a parent's sibling — and it is one of the few places where te earns its keep:

Do you know my relative, Mary? She's my cousin.

Tu ri sape a eko parimen Meri, ker? Tisomo ri eko pari sampariomo te nino.

Note that parimen can refer to "relatives" as a group, or to an individual relative. It's the common word that can be used to refer to any family member, direct or extended; or casually, it might even be used for friends who are so close they feel like family.

Asking about family

PikotikaMeaning
Tu ri tene a nino, ker?Do you have children?
Si, eko ri tene a pits nino.Yes, I have two.
Wun vironino kum wun vemanino.A son and a daughter.
Eko vemanino ri novanino sista.My daughter is still a baby.
Eko ri tene a nem nino.I don't have children.
Tu ri tene a ker mesur sampariomo?How many brothers and sisters do you have?
Eko ri tene a nem sampariomo.I'm an only child (I have no siblings).
Tu parimen ri viva in kerroko?Where does your family live?
Tisyan, eko ri sarve a tu parimen.Today I'm meeting your relatives.

How they are doing — Tu nino ri kermoto? — is on Small talk.

Who looks like whom

PikotikaLiterallyMeaning
samvitesame-seeto look like
Pits tu ri non samvite!two you RI not same-see You two don't look alike!

She looks like our father, and I look like our mother.

Tisomo ri samvite a ekomen viropari, sets eko ri samvite a vemapari.

Marriage

PikotikaLiterallyMeaning
marisyanmarry-daya wedding
anyoyanyear-dayan anniversary
vivayanlife-daya birthday
PikotikaMeaning
Tu ri maris, ker?Are you married?
Si. Tisomo ri eko marisomo Popu.Yes. This is my husband, Bob.
Eko ri non maris.I'm not married.
Ekomen ri maris vin in 10 anyo turan.We've been married for ten years.
Tar anyo, ekomen ri maris.We're getting married next year.
Ekomen maris anyoyan ri in tar mese.Our wedding anniversary is next month.
Yer nemyan, eko ri ire ver eko ami marisyan.Last night I went to my friend's wedding.

A whole conversation

Alice shows Bob a picture on her phone.

PikotikaEnglish
Popu: Tis ri tu parimen, ker?Bob: Is this your family?
Aras: Si! Tis ri eko viropari kum eko vemapari.Alice: Yes! These are my father and mother.
Popu: Kum tisomo ri keromo?Bob: And who's this?
Aras: Tisomo ri eko mas anyomeka samparivema Meri.Alice: That's my older sister, Mary.
Popu: Pits tu ri non samvite!Bob: You two don't look alike!
Aras: Ves. Tisomo ri samvite a ekomen viropari, sets eko ri samvite a vemapari.Alice: True. She looks like our father, and I look like our mother.
Popu: Meri ri maris, ker?Bob: Is Mary married?
Aras: Si. Tis ri tisomo marisviro kum tisomo nino.Alice: Yes. That's her husband, and her kids.
Popu: Nino anyoturan ri ker?Bob: How old are they?
Aras: Vironino anyoturan ri 6, kum vemanino ri novanino sista.Alice: The boy is six, and the girl is still a baby.
Aras: Kum tu, ker? Tu ri tene a sampariomo, ker?Alice: And you? Do you have brothers or sisters?
Popu: Non, eko ri tene a nem. Sets eko ri tene a mur pari sampariomo.Bob: No, none. But I have lots of aunts and uncles.
Aras: Tu parimen ri meka!Alice: Your family is big!
Popu: Si. Tar senseyan, pan parimen ri ire ver eko paripari vivayan.Bob: It is. Next week the whole family is going to my grandma's birthday.
Aras: Pam tika a pona vivayan ver tisomo!Alice: Wish her a happy birthday from me!

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