matrilokaliteetti

Matrilokaliteetti, also known as matrilocality or uxorilocality, is a custom where a newly married couple resides with or near the bride's parents. This contrasts with patrilocaliteetti, where the couple lives with the groom's family, or neolocaliteetti, where they establish a new residence independent of either family. In a matrilocal society, the primary residence and lineage are traced through the female line.

This residence pattern has significant implications for social structure, kinship, and economic organization. It often leads to strong bonds between mothers and daughters, and among sisters. Men, upon marriage, may find themselves as outsiders in their wife's lineage, sometimes experiencing a shift in their primary social and economic obligations. Inheritance of property, titles, or other resources may follow the female line, with status and wealth passing from mother to daughter.

While not as common as patrilocaliteetti globally, matrilocal or avunculocal (residing with the groom's mother's brother) systems have been observed in various cultures across the world, including some indigenous groups in the Americas, parts of Africa, and Asia. The specific practices and social dynamics within matrilocal societies can vary greatly, influenced by factors such as subsistence strategies, political organization, and historical developments. The term itself is derived from Latin, 'mater' meaning mother, and 'locus' meaning place.