Can You Be Matrilineal?

A matriline is a line of descent from a female ancestor to a descendant (of either sex) in which the individuals in all intervening generations are mothers – in other words, a "mother line". In a matrilineal descent system, an individual is considered to belong to the same descent group as their mother.

Is matrilineal a descent?

Matrilineal , or uterine, descent is established by tracing descent exclusively through females from a founding female ancestor. The individuals indicated in red constitute the matrilineal descendants of a common ancestress.

What are matrilineal norms?

Matrilineal society, also called matriliny, group adhering to a kinship system in which ancestral descent is traced through maternal instead of paternal lines (the latter being termed patrilineage or patriliny).