As the Sherpa population multiplied and spread to various parts of Solukhumbu and beyond, people living together in one village came to be considered as one clan (descendants of the first family to settle in the village). There are six major Sherpa clans, each clan being further divided into brother clans. The clan system or ru is especially useful in determining marriage arrangements.
Clan identity is inherited through the father. Sherpas marry a clan outside their own. For example, a Khampa-che would not marry another Khampa-che, but will marry from a different clan. Increasingly, one can see examples of Sherpas marrying outside of the Sherpa community, especially with other Nepalese from the hill areas.
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