What is the difference between periyappa and chiththappa?

Both are father's brothers. பெரியப்பா (periyappa, 'big father') is father's ELDER brother; சித்தப்பா (chiththappa, 'small father') is father's YOUNGER brother. The same pattern gives பெரியம்மா (periyamma) and சித்தி (chiththi) for mother's elder and younger sisters.

What is the difference between maama and periyappa?

They come from different sides. Periyappa and chiththappa are your father's brothers (and the husbands of your mother's sisters). மாமா (maama) is your mother's brother, and also your father's sister's husband. Tamil treats these two kinds of uncle as different relationships.

What do you call cousins in Tamil?

Children of your father's brothers and your mother's sisters are called by sibling words: anna, akka, thambi, thangachchi. Children of your mother's brother or father's sister are 'cross-cousins' with their own terms, such as மச்சான் (machan) for a male cross-cousin.

What do Sri Lankan Tamils call their grandparents?

Many Sri Lankan Tamil families name grandparents by side: அம்மம்மா (ammamma) for mother's mother, அப்பம்மா (appamma) for father's mother, அப்பப்பா (appappa) for father's father and அம்மப்பா (ammappa) for mother's father.

Tamil Family Words: What to Call Every Relative

Tamil has a separate word for almost every relative, and the words tell you which side of the family someone is on and whether they're older or younger than the person they're related through. English has "uncle"; Tamil has at least three different uncles. Once you see the two or three patterns behind the words, the whole system is easy to remember.

Here are the patterns first, then every relative in tables. Use the family words tool to tap through relationships ("mum's older sister") and hear each word.

The three patterns that explain everything

Elder vs younger matters. An elder brother is அண்ணா (anna) ‘elder brother’, a younger brother is தம்பி (thambi) ‘younger brother’. There's no everyday word for just "brother".
Big and small parents. Your parents' same-sex siblings are "big" or "small" versions of your parents: பெரியப்பா (periyappa) ‘"big father": father's elder brother’ and சித்தப்பா (chiththappa) ‘"small father": father's younger brother’. Their children are your "brothers" and "sisters".
The other side is a different category. Your mother's brother and your father's sister aren't "big/small parents". They have their own words, மாமா (maama) ‘mother's brother’ and அத்தை (aththai) ‘father's sister’, and their children are a different kind of cousin. This comes from the Dravidian kinship system, in which marriage between these "cross-cousins" was traditionally allowed, so the words overlap with in-law words.

One more thing: the word you call someone (address) and the word you use about them (reference) can differ. You call your elder brother anna, but talk about him as அண்ணன் (annan) ‘elder brother (when talking about him)’: "என் அண்ணன் (en annan) ‘my elder brother’".

Parents and siblings

Relative	Spoken (what you say)	Formal / written
Mother	அம்மாammamother	தாய்thaaymother (formal)
Father	அப்பாappafather	தந்தைthandhaifather (formal)
Elder brother	அண்ணாannaelder brother	அண்ணன்annanelder brother
Younger brother	தம்பிthambiyounger brother	தம்பிthambiyounger brother
Elder sister	அக்காakkaelder sister	அக்காள்akkaalelder sister (formal)
Younger sister	தங்கச்சிthangachchiyounger sister	தங்கைthangaiyounger sister (formal)

These sibling words reach far beyond family. People call a shopkeeper anna, a woman a little older than them akka, a younger man thambi. Using them politely with strangers is normal and friendly.

Grandparents and great-grandparents

Relative	Tamil Nadu	Notes
Grandfather	தாத்தாthaathagrandfather	Either side
Grandmother	பாட்டிpaattigrandmother	Either side
Great-grandfather	கொள்ளுத்தாத்தாkolluththaaththaagreat-grandfather	கொள்ளு (kollu) ‘great-’ is added in front
Great-grandmother	கொள்ளுப்பாட்டிkolluppaattigreat-grandmother

Sri Lankan Tamil: many families name grandparents by which parent they belong to, which is beautifully clear:

Relative	Sri Lankan Tamil	Literally
Mother's mother	அம்மம்மாammammamother's mother	"mother-mother"
Mother's father	அம்மப்பாammappamother's father	"mother-father"
Father's mother	அப்பம்மாappammafather's mother	"father-mother"
Father's father	அப்பப்பாappappafather's father	"father-father"

You may also hear ஆச்சி (aachchi) ‘grandmother’ for a grandmother in Sri Lanka and parts of southern Tamil Nadu.

Aunts and uncles

This is where English speakers get lost, so here it is laid out by side.

Father's side

Relative	Tamil	Meaning
Father's elder brother	பெரியப்பாperiyappa"big father"
His wife	பெரியம்மாperiyamma"big mother"
Father's younger brother	சித்தப்பாchiththappa"small father"
His wife	சித்திchiththi"small mother"
Father's sister	அத்தைaththaiaunt (father's sister)	Elder or younger, same word
Her husband	மாமாmaamauncle

Mother's side

Relative	Tamil	Meaning
Mother's elder sister	பெரியம்மாperiyamma"big mother"
Her husband	பெரியப்பாperiyappa"big father"
Mother's younger sister	சித்திchiththi"small mother"
Her husband	சித்தப்பாchiththappa"small father"
Mother's brother	மாமாmaamauncle (mother's brother)	Elder or younger, same word
His wife	மாமிmaamiaunt	Some families say அத்தை (aththai) ‘aunt’

Notice the mirror: your father's brothers and your mother's sisters (and their spouses) all get periya-/chiththa- "parent" words. Your father's sister and mother's brother get aththai and maama. Words vary a bit between families, regions and communities. If your family uses a different word, theirs is right for them.

Hear it in real TamilWatch a 20-second clip with tap-to-translate captions and see how Bumi will work.

Cousins

Parallel cousins (children of periyappa, chiththappa, periyamma, chiththi) are called exactly like siblings: anna, akka, thambi, thangachchi. In Tamil you might say "my brother" about someone an English speaker would call a cousin.
Cross-cousins (children of maama and aththai) have their own words. The most common is மச்சான் (machan) ‘male cross-cousin; brother-in-law’, which has also become a friendly "dude" among friends. Its female counterpart மச்சினி (machchini) ‘sister-in-law (esp. wife's younger sister)’ is used mostly for a sister-in-law, so a female cross-cousin is usually described instead, and many people describe every cross-cousin this way: மாமா பொண்ணு (maama ponnu) ‘uncle's daughter’ or அத்தை பையன் (aththai paiyan) ‘aunt's son’.

Children and grandchildren

Relative	Spoken	Formal
Son	பையன்paiyanboy, son	மகன்maganson
Daughter	பொண்ணுponnugirl, daughter	மகள்magaldaughter
Grandson	பேரன்perangrandson
Granddaughter	பேத்திpeththigranddaughter
Son-in-law	மருமகன்marumaganson-in-law	Also a man's sister's son
Daughter-in-law	மருமகள்marumagaldaughter-in-law	Also a man's sister's daughter

Husband, wife and in-laws

Relative	Tamil	Notes
Husband	கணவர்kanavarhusband (respectful)	Spoken: வீட்டுக்காரர் (veettukkaarar) ‘husband, "the man of the house"’
Wife	மனைவிmanaiviwife	Spoken: often just "wife" in English
Father-in-law	மாமனார்maamanaarfather-in-law	Usually addressed as மாமா (maama) ‘uncle’
Mother-in-law	மாமியார்maamiyaarmother-in-law	Usually addressed as அத்தை (aththai) ‘aunt’
Elder brother's wife	அண்ணிannisister-in-law
Brother-in-law	மச்சான்machanbrother-in-law	Formal: மைத்துனர் (maiththunar) ‘brother-in-law’

The in-law words line up with the aunt and uncle words: your father-in-law is addressed as maama, your mother-in-law as aththai. That's the cross-cousin pattern again: in the traditional system, your spouse's parents could also be your mother's brother and father's sister. Today many people also simply call their in-laws அம்மா (amma) ‘mother’ and அப்பா (appa) ‘father’.

Being respectful

Add respect with -nga. When talking to elders, use நீங்க (neenga) ‘you (respectful)’ and verbs ending in -nga. "Periyappa, சாப்பிட்டீங்களா? (saappitteengalaa?) ‘have you eaten?’"
Talk about elders with -aanga / -aar. "பாட்டி வந்தாங்க (paatti vandhaanga) ‘Grandma came’", not vandhaa.
Don't use first names for elders. Use the kinship word, or the kinship word added to a name: ராஜா மாமா (raajaa maama) ‘Uncle Raja’.

For conversation phrases to go with these words, see talking to grandparents in Tamil. And if you're teaching these words to your kids, raising bilingual kids in Tamil covers what actually works at home.

A note on regional differences

Kinship words are some of the most regional words in Tamil. Sri Lankan Tamil, Kongu, Madurai, Tirunelveli and Brahmin dialects each have their own versions, and families keep their own habits. This post gives the forms most widely understood in Tamil Nadu, with the most common Sri Lankan grandparent terms. When a relative uses a different word, ask them about it: இவங்கள எப்படி கூப்பிடணும்? (ivangala eppadi kooppidanum?) ‘What should I call her/him?’ is a great question to ask at any family gathering.