exogamy

Communities were locally centred around a main patriline, were related to each other through the systematic practice of female exogamy.

For a religion that does not accept converts and strongly discourages exogamy, the assimilation of Yazidi youth in Europe threatens the faith’s continued existence.

Yet each family knew to what gens it belonged, observed its rites, and obeyed strictly the rule of exogamy.

The village as such possesses no permanent gennas, but the clans, as the units of marriage under the law of exogamy, have distinct elementary gennas, especially the clan to which the priest-chief belongs.

It may wander wherever merchants wander, wherever captives are dragged, wherever slaves are sold, wherever the custom of exogamy commands the choice of alien wives.