Cameron Miranda
The English language has a variety of terms to describe the relationships between family members. However, the language does not have a specific term for the relationship between a wife's brother and her husband. In this case, the husband of one's wife's sister is referred to as a brother-in-law. This term is also used to describe the relationship between a wife's brother and her husband, as they are both related by marriage. Some people may prefer to use the term co-brother or co-sibling, which is commonly used in Indian English, to differentiate between the two relationships. Ultimately, the specific term used to describe this relationship may vary depending on personal preference and cultural context.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Relationship to you | Your wife's brother-in-law |
| Relationship to your wife | Her sister's husband |
| Relationship to your children | Their uncle |
| Relationship to your wife's sister | Her husband |
| Relationship to your sister | Your sister's sister-in-law's husband |
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What You'll Learn
'Brother-in-law' is a gender-neutral term
The English language has words for numerous family relationships, but most of them are gendered. While "brother-in-law" is a term commonly used to refer to a person's brother-in-law or their spouse's brother, it is not a gender-neutral term. In the English language, there is no widely accepted gender-neutral term for a brother-in-law.
In certain scenarios, the term "sibling-in-law" may be used as a gender-neutral alternative to "brother-in-law" or "sister-in-law". However, it is important to note that "sibling-in-law" may not be as commonly understood or widely accepted as the gendered terms.
Some people might prefer to use gender-neutral language to refer to their relatives, especially when the gender identity of the individual is unknown or when the speaker wishes to avoid making assumptions. In such cases, creative alternatives have been suggested, such as "co-brother" or "co-sister", which are gender-neutral terms that can be used to describe the spouse of one's sibling. Additionally, the term "nibling" has emerged as a gender-neutral alternative to "niece" or "nephew", and "pibling" has been suggested as a gender-neutral term for "aunt" or "uncle".
It is worth noting that some languages, like Russian, have distinct terms for the spouses of one's siblings, such as "зять” (zyat') for the husband of one's sister or daughter, and "сноха” (snokha) or "невестка” (nevestka) for the wife of one's brother.
While there is a push for more gender-neutral language, it is also important to consider the warmth and familiarity conveyed by gendered terms like "mother" and "father", which may not be replicated by more neutral terms like "parent". Ultimately, the choice of language depends on the speaker's preference and the context of the situation.
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'Co-sibling' is an alternative term
In English, your wife's brother is your "brother-in-law", and his relatives are all "in-laws" to you. Your brother-in-law's brother is, therefore, your brother-in-law as well.
A "sibling-in-law" is the spouse of one's sibling or the sibling of one’s spouse. More commonly, a sibling-in-law is referred to as a "brother-in-law" if male and a "sister-in-law" if female. The term "sibling-in-law" also refers to the reciprocal relationship between a person's spouse and their sibling's spouse. In Indian English, this relationship can be referred to as a "co-sibling". Specifically, a "co-sister" refers to the wife of one's sibling-in-law, and a "co-brother" refers to the husband of one's sibling-in-law.
In-law relationships are a type of kinship called affinity and are relations that do not relate to the person directly by blood. The children of one's siblings-in-law are called nieces and nephews. If necessary, it can be specified whether the relation is "by marriage", "by blood", or "by adoption".
In other languages, there are sometimes more terms to describe family relationships. For example, in Russian, the husband of one's sister is called "Зять” (Zyat’). The sister of the Zyat' is called "Сноха” (Snokha), or „Невестка” (Nevestka).
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Children of siblings-in-law are called nieces/nephews
The English language does not have specific terms to address certain relationships. For instance, there is no specific term for a wife's sister's husband. In this case, the husband of your wife's sister is your wife's brother-in-law. This is because "brother-in-law" is used to refer to the brother of your spouse or the husband of your sibling.
However, this can get confusing, as "brother-in-law" is also used to refer to your sibling's spouse's brother. So, in this case, your wife's brother-in-law is also your brother-in-law. To make it clearer, you could refer to him as your "wife's brother-in-law".
Now, to answer your question, the children of your siblings-in-law are called your nieces and nephews. This is true for both siblings-in-law related to you by blood and those related by marriage. If necessary, you can specify whether they are your nieces and nephews "by marriage", as opposed to "by blood" or "by adoption".
Some cultures have more specific terms for family relationships. For example, in Russian, your sister's husband is called "Зять” (Zyat’), and his sister is called "Сноха” (Snokha) or "Невестка” (Nevestka)". In Indian English, the wife of one's sibling-in-law is called a "co-sister", and the husband of one's sibling-in-law is called a "co-brother".
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'In-laws' can refer to relatives-of-relatives
In-laws are people you are related to by marriage. Your in-laws can refer to relatives-of-relatives, and the term can be used for all the relatives-of-relatives of your own generation. For example, in English, your sister's husband is your "brother-in-law", and his relatives are all "in-laws" to you. Your brother-in-law's sister is your sister's sister-in-law.
However, the term ""brother-in-law" is strictly used for brothers of a spouse, and there is no specific word for a "wife's sister's husband" in English. In this case, the relationship could be described as "my sister-in-law's husband", but this could also refer to your brother's wife. Another option is to refer to the man as "my wife's brother-in-law", but this could also describe the husband of your wife's sister.
In Indian English, the term ""co-sibling" can be used to refer to the wife of one's sibling-in-law or the husband of one's sibling-in-law. The terms ""co-sister" and "co-brother" can also be used to specify the gender of the co-sibling.
It is worth noting that the children of one's siblings-in-law are called nieces and nephews, and it is only specified whether they are "by marriage" if necessary.
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Other languages have more specific terms
In English, the term "brother-in-law" can refer to both a person's sibling's spouse and their spouse's sibling. However, other languages have more specific terms to differentiate between these two types of relationships.
For example, in Indian English, the terms "co-brother" and "co-sister" are used to refer specifically to the spouse of one's sibling-in-law, and these terms are distinct from "brother-in-law" or "sister-in-law". Using the wrong term could imply inbreeding in the family, which would be considered a major faux pas. Nearly all Indian languages have their own specific terms for these relationships.
In Russian, the term "свояк" (svoyák) specifically means "wife's sister's husband". The sister of the "свояк" would be called "сноха" (Snokha) or "невестка" (Nevestka).
In Danish, there are not as many gender-specific terms, but the brother of one's wife would be called "šurjak" (male form), and his wife would be "šurjakinja" (female form).
In Latin, the term "socer" refers to a son-in-law.
These examples demonstrate that while English may use the catch-all term "brother-in-law" for both types of relationships, other languages have developed more specific terminology to differentiate between the spouse of one's sibling and the sibling of one's spouse.
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Frequently asked questions
No, he is your wife's brother-in-law, not yours. However, you can refer to him as your brother-in-law if you want to emphasise the spousal part of the relationship.
Your wife's sister's husband is your wife's brother-in-law. In English, you can refer to him as your brother-in-law, or your sister-in-law's husband.
Your wife's brother-in-law's sister is your sister-in-law. In English, you can refer to her as your sister-in-law or your wife's brother-in-law's sister.
