Clan

For other uses, see Clan (disambiguation)}}}.

A clan is a group of people united by kinship and descent, which is defined by perceived descent from a common ancestor. Even if actual lineage patterns are unknown, clan members nonetheless recognize a founding member or apical ancestor. As kinship based bonds can be merely symbolical in nature some clans share a "stipulated" common ancestor, which is a symbol of the clan's unity. When this ancestor is not human, this is referred to as animallian totem. Generally speaking, kinship differs from biological relation, as it also involves adoption, marriage, and fictive genealogical ties. Clans can be most easily described as sub-groups of tribes and usually constitute groups of 7000 to 10 000 people.

Some clans are patrilineal, meaning its members are related through the male line; for example, the clans of Armenia. Others are matrilineal; its members are related through the female line. Still other clans are bilateral, consisting of all the descendants of the apical ancestor through both the male and female lines; the clans of Scotland are one example. Whether a clan is patrilineal, matrilineal, or bilateral depends on the kinship rules and norms of their society.

In different cultures and situations a clan may mean the same thing as other kin-based groups such as tribes and bands. Often, the distinguishing factor is that a clan is a smaller part of a larger society such as a tribe, a chiefdom, or a state. Examples include Irish, Scottish, Chinese, and Japanese clans, which exist as kin groups within their respective nations. Note, however, that tribes and bands can also be components of larger societies. Arab tribes are small groups within Arab society, and Ojibwa bands are smaller parts of the Ojibwa tribe.

Apart from these different traditions of kinship, further conceptual confusion arises from colloquial usages of the term. In post-Soviet countries for example it is quite common to speak of clans referring to informal networks within the economic and political sphere. This usage reflects the assumption that their members act towards each other in a particularly close and mutually supportive way approximating the solidarity among kinsmen. However, the Norse clans, the ätter, can not be translated with tribe or band, and consequently they are often translated with house or line.

Polish clans differ from most others in being a collection of families bearing the same coat of arms, as opposed to actually claiming a common descent. This is discussed under the topic of Polish Heraldry.

Most clans are exogamous, meaning that its members cannot marry one another. Some clans have an official leader such as a chieftain, matriarch, or patriarch.

The word clan, comes from the Gaelic 'Clannad' meaning family, especially extended family.

Contents

1 Albanian
2 Armenian
3 Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
4 Chinese

4.1 In Hong Kong

5 Irish
6 Indian
7 Japanese
8 Korean
9 Manchu
10 Scandinavian
11 Scottish
12 Serbian
13 Somali
14 Term used in multiplayer gaming
15 See also

Albanian

Fis, clans of the country's northern highlands.

Armenian

Tohm, clans of Armenian nobility.

Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

List of Indigenous Australian group names.

Chinese

In Hong Kong

The five Great Han Chinese Punti Clans in Hong Kong are:

Tang clan, arrived in Hong Kong in 1069
Hau clan, arrived in the 12th century
Pang clan, arrived in the 12th century
Man clan, arrived in 1307
Liu clan, arrived in the 15th century

Irish

Indian

Maratha Clan System

Japanese

Japanese clans

Korean

Korean clan
Korean name

Manchu

Scandinavian

Norse clans

Scottish

Scottish clans

Serbian

Serb clans

Somali

Somali clans

Term used in multiplayer gaming

With the dawn of the internet and with many households now containing computers with a broadband connection, multiplayer gaming has become a popular hobby. In multiplayer gaming, the word clan is used to mean a group of people who play competitively against other people using organized tactics. Often clans are named after real or fictitious military divisions and require a short abbreviated prefix before one's actual call-sign.

See: Clan (computer gaming)