Karo Batak terminology

Abstract

In recent essay on Karo Batak social organization with especial reference to Masri Singarimbun's very readable and accomplished ethnography (1975), Needham (1978: 146) has had occasion to refer to some of my own comments about form of their terminological system. In particular he has drawn into contention my claim that Karo Batak have prescriptive with asym metric features (1976: 389). He opposes (p. 142) to this interpretation his own to effect that Karo actually have a modified form of asymmetric prescriptive terminology.. Furthermore, he dismisses (p. 143) possibility that Karo system may once have been before evolving towards asymmetry ? in this case alluding to one of his own theories (1967: 45-46). The first issue is whether Karo have prescription. The ethnographer denies it, the Karo do not prescribe or enjoin MBD or classificatory impal marriage (p. 193). Ghoice of spouse among Karo is not restricted to any one category of kinswoman or kins man (p. 153). In my own view, ethnography will bear inter pretation that contains categorical prescription, but facts as set out do not conclusively rule out alternative ways of analyzing Karo terminology. On other hand, there seems to be no doubt about what I called asymmetric features of terminology. Needham has written carefully detailed demonstration of my point. In first instance our disagreement is trivial one about English usage. The English phrase prescriptive terminology without supplementary punc tuation can mean one of two things: (1) a prescriptive which is symmetric or (2) a with prescrip tion. Needham (1966, 1968) has already shown that these two senses need not be same.