Description:

The term 'kawanca' is derived from the word for 'two', 'kawa', and means approximately 'one who doubles'. Idiomatically, however, it is a romantic relationship word meaning a typically exclusive relationship which is more formal and established than the girlfriend/boyfriend relationship of lijéma/cema but less so than the formally joined status of 'katen'.

Kawanca can take any of the gender prefixes or modifiers than 'ema' can take, but generally always implies a romantic relationship, in particlar likáwanca and cekáwanca for female and male partners, respectively, and so does not need the gender modifier to make the implication the way 'ema' does. Because the romantic implication is carried intrinsically, use of a gender modifier instead of a prefix does not distance the term from it.