What is the difference between Clan and Tribe? ?

[Anonymous]

I'm going to create a story, but I don't know the difference.

[RavVid]

A clan implies a family relationship. A tribe doesn't necessarily carry that implication but could well be family and in hunter and gathers society would have been.

Rome divided their populace into tribes as a political unit and it was sort of somewhat familiar but they had one tribe for bitzers ie those that didn't fit in elsewhere.

Clan is mostly associated with Scotland of course and were mostly family owing allegiance to the clan chief but some body from outside could join by swearing allegiance. Shipwrecked sailors from the Spanish Armada probably did that. Everybody in the clan could themselves a Mac Donald which reinforced the family connection.

Depending on the story you are writing it could be better to use one or the other. If you have shaman witch doctors etc tribe might be better. If you wanted to emphasis a political group in conflict with others clan might be better. Are the people going have Scottish qualities (clan) or are they wondering around the bush hunting game (tribal) .

[NathanDavis]

for writing purposes... maybe you could approach it this way

a clan would be a smaller and closer group that are actually a family with a common ancestor, and do share a familial lineage... while a tribe could be a bigger group that is formed by a few clans that are related to each other by geographical and social relationships

[Joshydavid25]

A clan is basically family with the same last name.. For example I have the last name Dickerson so I'm apart of the Dickerson Clan where we share a common ancestor.. Different clans are usually in a Tribe which is more like a small village of different families or clans.

[Staximus]

Clans are usually family members and or related by marriage, tribes are made up of different families

[exitseven]

A tribe is more of a group with a common culture or locality. A clan is a collection of people tied together with familial bonds.

[jahaims]

Use a dictionary