(1) In northern India there is a prevalence of the patriarchal kin system. In the south, however, there exist both patriarchal and matriarchal systems of kinship. The matriarchal kinship system is found in Kerala among the Nairs, Moppilas and Teeyyars.
Karve also finds matriarchal system in the east among the Garo (Megha- laya) and Khasi tribes. There are no traces of matriarchal kin system in north. However, patriarchal system is also popular among castes of southern parts of India along with matriarchal system.
(2) In the north sapinda marriage is prohibited, whereas in the south cross-cousin marriage has the status of a preferential marriage.
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(3) Bride-price marriage is not recognized in the north. In the south it is a common practice in marriage.
(4) Normally, village endogamy is not preferred in the north. In the south, on the contrary there is no prohibition against endogamy, that is, one can marry from his own village.
(5) In the north, there is a specific kinship terminology for blood kin and marital kin. In the south, there is no difference in kinship terminology between these two groups.
Kinship terminology depends largely on the language. Karve has studied both the Indo-Aryan language family and the Dravidian language family.
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It is on the basis of these two language families that she has studied Indian kinship organization. She calls the DraVidian language family the mainstay of kinship organization.