Arrernte Skin Names 2
(for full size click image)
Aboriginal skin systems group various categories of relations together. The whole tribe may be divided into 2, 4, 6, or 8 parts. In Central Australia, the best known example of this is the Warlpiri and Arrente.
A person is born into one of the 8 groups (subsections as they are known technically) and thus acquires, in addition to his personal name, the name belonging to that skin group. His father belongs to a different skin group, his mother belongs to another, his wife to another.
Use of the Arrente Skin Names chart will help to clarify how children gain a skin name.
Below are listed the Arrente skin names, with the Warlpiri equivalent.
| Arrente | Warlpiri | |
| Women | Men | |
| Ngale | Nangala | Jangala |
| Mipetyane | Nampijinpa | Jampijinpa |
| Perrurle | Napurrula | Japurrula |
| Kemarre | Nakamarra | Jakamarra |
| Kngwarraye | Nungarrayi | Jungarrayi |
| Peitharre | Napaljarri | Japaljarri |
| Penangke | Napanangka | Japanangka |
| Pengarte | Napangardi | Japangarci |
In some Aboriginal societies - Pitjantjatjara - generation level is important, having no skin groups.
There are two generation levels:
People of adjacent generations are regarded as belonging to different generation levels (referred to as 'disharmonic' generations).
One must marry into one's own generation level, not into the opposite one; and not within one's own camp, or countryman.
| Grandparents | < | < | |
| Parents | < < |
'disharmonic' | 'harmonic' |
| Children | < | < |
Arrernte Skin Names 2
(for full size click image)
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 | Australian Academy of Medicine and Surgery |