noun
matrilineal family
Anthropological term for a family system where descent and inheritance are traced through the mother's line. Not an everyday word; used in academic or descriptive contexts.
この地域では、母系家族の伝統が今も残っている。
In this region, the tradition of matrilineal families still remains.
Refers to a patrilineal family, where descent is traced through the father's line, in contrast to 母系家族.
Compound of 母系 (matrilineal) and 家族 (family). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the term is a modern academic coinage.