Matrilocal Residence

in the matrilineal clan system, a common form of conjugal residence wherein the husband goes to live with his wife’s kinfolk. Matrilocal residence, the earliest form of marital residence, led to the transformation of the clan into a matrilineal family group and contributed to the formation of separate, nonclan property owned by males, an important precondition for the transition from matrilocal to patrilocal residence. Vestiges of matrilocal residence are found in such customs as the temporary residence of a married couple with the wife’s parents and payment for the bride by labor.