ABSTRACT
Physically a Tale settlement is an aggregation of homesteads irregularly distributed at varying distances from one another. A homestead is the domicile of a domestic family. The edifice of pile and thatch, and its occupants, constitute a single entity. Tale homesteads are solidly constructed of pile (puddled mud, tan), and they are built to last. When a joint family splits up, the commonest pretext is friction over grain supplies. The family which hives off does so on the ground that it needs its own, independent food-supply. In a polygynous family, or what might be called a multicellular family, the senior dugdaana has more authority in domestic affairs, and more esteem in the eyes of the public than the other women of the household have. The intimate domestic life of a family goes on mainly in the dεndɔŋo. Meals are often cooked and always eaten there. Food is never cooked outside the homestead except for ritual or ceremonial purposes.
