Defining Sibling Bonds: What Makes A Sibling-In-Law?

what constitutes a sibling in law

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 for a male and a sister-in-law for a female. There is no commonly used name for the relationship between a person and their sibling-in-law's sibling. The term 'sibling-in-law' also refers to the reciprocal relationship between a person's spouse and their sibling's spouse. In the case where one pair of siblings is married to another pair of siblings, the siblings-in-law are doubly related, with each of the four connected through their spouse and their sibling.

Characteristics Values
Definition The spouse of one's sibling or the sibling of one's spouse
Common Terminology Brother-in-law (male), sister-in-law (female)
Reciprocal Relationship Person's spouse and their sibling's spouse
Indian English Terminology Co-sibling (co-sister for wife of sibling-in-law, co-brother for husband of sibling-in-law)
Kinship Type Affinity (all in-law relationships)
Children of Siblings-in-law Nieces and nephews (by marriage)
Double Relationship If pairs of siblings marry each other, their children are double cousins
Envy in Triad Relationship A study found relational closeness and satisfaction in triad of sibling, sibling-in-law, and spouse
Islamic and Jewish Law Sexual relations between siblings-in-law are prohibited as incestuous
Custom in Judaism Yibbum, a man's non-obligatory duty to wed his deceased brother's childless widow
No Common Name No commonly used name for a sibling-in-law's sibling

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Sibling-in-law as a spouse's sibling

A sibling-in-law is the spouse of one's sibling or the sibling of one's spouse. In the latter case, a sibling-in-law is commonly referred to as a brother-in-law or sister-in-law. This relationship is one of affinity, like all in-law relationships, and is not a blood relation. The children of one's siblings-in-law are referred to as nieces and nephews, and if necessary, it can be specified whether they are "by marriage", "by blood", or "by adoption".

In the case where one pair of siblings is married to another pair of siblings, the siblings-in-law are doubly related, with each of the four individuals being connected through their spouse and their sibling. In this scenario, the children of the two couples are double cousins.

There is no commonly used name for the relationship between a person and the sibling of their sibling-in-law. Typically, one would refer to this person as "my brother-in-law's brother" or "my sister-in-law's sister". If a more precise relationship term is needed, one could use "brother-in-law" or "sister-in-law" in casual conversation, or simply refer to the person as "a friend".

In some cultural and legal contexts, the sibling-in-law relationship has specific implications. For example, in Islamic law (Sharia) and Jewish law (halakha), sexual relations between siblings-in-law are prohibited as incestuous unless the spouse is no longer married. On the other hand, in Judaism, there was a custom of yibbum, where a man had a non-obligatory duty to marry his deceased brother's childless widow.

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Sibling-in-law as a sibling's spouse

A sibling-in-law is the spouse of one's sibling or the sibling of one's spouse. In other words, if your sibling gets married, their spouse becomes your sibling-in-law. Conversely, if you get married, your spouse's siblings also become your siblings-in-law. This reciprocal relationship is a type of kinship called affinity, and it is a relationship that is not related by blood.

More commonly, a sibling-in-law is referred to as a brother-in-law for a male sibling-in-law and a sister-in-law for a female sibling-in-law. For example, if your sister marries someone, her spouse becomes your brother-in-law. Conversely, if your brother marries someone, his spouse becomes your sister-in-law.

The children of your siblings-in-law are referred to simply as nieces and nephews. If needed, you can specify whether they are "by marriage", as opposed to "by blood" or "by adoption". For instance, if your brother-in-law has a child, that child is your nephew by marriage.

In some cultures, there are specific terms for the reciprocal relationship between a person's spouse and their sibling's spouse. For example, 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.

It is worth noting that there is no commonly used term for the relationship between your sibling-in-law's sibling and yourself. Typically, you would refer to them as "my sibling-in-law's sibling". However, if you have a close relationship, you may choose to call them "my brother-in-law" or "my sister-in-law" in casual conversation or simply refer to them as "a friend".

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No common term for a sibling-in-law's sibling

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 for a male and a sister-in-law for a female. There is no single term to refer to the relationship between a person and the sibling of their sibling-in-law. In other words, if one has a brother-in-law or sister-in-law who has a sibling, that sibling does not have a specific name in relation to the person.

In English, the relationship is typically described by saying "my brother-in-law's brother" or "my sister-in-law's sister". If a more precise relationship needs to be communicated, one could refer to the individual as a friend or use their name. In Indian English, the term "co-sibling" can be used to refer to the spouse of one's sibling-in-law, but this does not account for the relationship between the spouse's siblings.

The lack of a specific term for this relationship may be due to the fact that it is a step removed from the nuclear family and may not be as significant as the relationship between siblings, spouses, or siblings-in-law. However, some studies have examined the triadic system of sibling, sibling-in-law, and spouse, finding that the sibling-in-law relationship shares similarities with both spousal and sibling relationships.

In certain cultural and legal contexts, such as Islamic law (Sharia) and Jewish law (halakha), the relationship between siblings-in-law is significant in terms of prohibitions on sexual relations, which are considered incestuous. In Judaism, there was also the custom of yibbum, where a man had the non-obligatory duty to marry his deceased brother's childless widow.

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Double siblings-in-law

A sibling-in-law is the spouse of one's sibling or the sibling of one's spouse. In the case of "double siblings-in-law", this refers to a scenario where a pair of siblings marry another pair of siblings. In this situation, each individual is connected to their spouse's sibling through two relationships: as a sibling-in-law and as the spouse of their sibling's spouse. This creates a double cousin relationship between the children of the two couples, who share a quarter of their genes, twice the amount of regular cousins.

The concept of "double siblings-in-law" can be seen in various works of fiction, such as "A Princess for Christmas", "Tumbleweed", "Twins", "The Accursed Kings", Malevil, "Pigs Might Fly", "The Silmarillion", "The Lord of the Rings", "Shanghai Girls", "Double Act", "Anne's House of Dreams", "Double Trouble and Triple Trouble", "Sense and Sensibility", "The Faerie Queene", and "Enchanted".

In Islamic law (Sharia) and Jewish law (halakha), sexual relations between siblings-in-law are prohibited as incestuous unless the spouse is no longer married. However, in Judaism, there was a custom called "yibbum", where a man had the non-obligatory duty to marry his deceased brother's childless widow.

It is worth noting that there is no commonly used name for the relationship between a person's sibling-in-law's sibling. Typically, one would refer to them as "my brother-in-law's brother" or simply as a friend.

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Sexual relations between siblings-in-law

A sibling-in-law is the spouse of one's sibling or the sibling of one's spouse. In the latter case, the former spouse's siblings are also considered siblings-in-law. If one pair of siblings is married to another pair of siblings, the siblings-in-law are doubly related, with each of the four individuals being related through their spouse and their sibling.

In Germany, incest is defined as vaginal intercourse between lineal ancestors and descendants and between full and half-siblings. While the criminal liability of incest among consenting adults is disputed, it is punishable by a fine or up to three years in prison. In Finland, sexual acts between one's sibling, ancestor, or descendant are punishable by a fine or up to two years in prison, but minors are not punished. Greece, Iceland, and Ireland also have laws prohibiting incest and imposing various penalties. While France abolished incest laws in the early 19th century, it reinstated them in 2010.

The legality of incest also depends on the type of sexual activity, the nature of the family relationship, and the age and sex of the parties involved. While some societies stigmatize marriages and sexual relationships between first cousins as incest, it is tolerated in much of the world. Studies have shown that children of parent-child or sibling-sibling unions are at an increased risk of congenital abnormalities and other health issues compared to cousin-cousin unions.

Frequently asked questions

A sibling-in-law is the spouse of one's sibling or the sibling of one's spouse.

A male sibling-in-law is often referred to as a brother-in-law, while a female sibling-in-law is referred to as a sister-in-law.

In Indian English, the wife of one's sibling-in-law is referred to as a co-sister, and the husband of one's sibling-in-law is called a co-brother.

In Islamic law (Sharia) and Jewish law (halakha), sexual relations between siblings-in-law are prohibited as incestuous unless the spouse is no longer married.

There is no commonly used name for this connection. You could refer to them as a friend or simply explain the relationship by saying " [name] is my brother-in-law's brother/sister".

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