subclan

noun

sub·​clan ˈsəb-ˌklan 

variants or sub-clan

plural subclans or sub-clans

: a clan that is part of a larger clan

… clans may contain clans, which are usually called subclans.

—Marvin Harris

There are six main clans and minority groups, and dozens of subclans.

—Edmund Sanders

Examples of subclan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Deep divisions and distrust between officials in Mogadishu and regional leaders, as well as among clans and subclans, threaten to fragment the country. —Sarah Harrison, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2023

From a subclan of the Mahariya Rizeigat tribe, nomadic people that herded camels in Darfur, Hemedti got his start as a commander of the Janjaweed. —Eliza MacKintosh, CNN, 26 Apr. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above