Cameron Miranda
A brother-in-law is a term used to refer to the brother of one's spouse, the husband of one's sibling, or the husband of one's spouse's sibling. In other words, it is a term that describes a person's relationship with their spouse's brother or their sibling's husband. The term in-law signifies that the relationship is not by blood but by marriage. The equivalent term for a female relative is sister-in-law. While the term brother-in-law typically refers to these specific relationships, in some cultures, it can also be used more broadly to refer to a male relative by marriage, such as the brother of a spouse's sibling.
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What You'll Learn
Brother-in-law defined
A brother-in-law is a term used to refer to the brother of one's spouse, or the husband of one's sibling. In other words, it is the reciprocal relationship between a person's spouse and their sibling's spouse. This is a type of kinship called affinity, which is a relation that is not by blood.
The term is also used to refer to the brother of one's spouse's sibling. For example, if your brother married someone, their spouse's brother would be your brother-in-law. This usage is labelled as "uncommon" by Wiktionary.
In Indian English, the husband of one's sibling-in-law is referred to as a co-brother.
The term "in-law" is used to refer to a person's partner's family, and the relationship is legally recognised in the country where one lives.
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Brother-in-law in different cultures
The concept of a "brother-in-law" exists in various cultures, each with its own unique perspectives and terminologies. Here is an exploration of the term "brother-in-law" and its significance in different cultural contexts:
Indian Culture
In Indian culture, the term "co-sibling" is used in Indian English to refer to the relationship between the wife of one's sibling-in-law (co-sister) or the husband of one's sibling-in-law (co-brother). This term acknowledges the affinity-based kinship that arises from these relationships. Additionally, Indian languages offer specific charts of relationship names for non-in-laws, demonstrating a nuanced approach to kinship terminology.
Greek Culture
In Greek culture, the term "sympatheti" (feminine: sympatheta, masculine: sympatheto) is used to refer to legal but non-blood-related relatives. This term encompasses a broad range of relationships, including those that might be considered brother-in-law relationships in other cultures.
Finnish Culture
The Finnish language provides distinct terms for different types of brother-in-law relationships. The word "Lanko" refers to either your spouse's brother, your sister's husband, or your spouse's sister's husband. On the other hand, "Käly" denotes your spouse's sister, your brother's wife, or your spouse's brother's wife. While the terms "NATO" and "KYTY," which specifically meant your husband's sister and your husband's brother, respectively, are now almost obsolete.
Dutch Culture
Due to shared linguistic roots with German, Dutch employs similar terminology for brother-in-law relationships. The term "zwager" refers to one's wife's brother, and "schoonfamilie" is used to describe the broader concept of a spouse's family, including brothers-in-law.
Islamic and Jewish Law
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, Judaism historically practiced "yibbum," where a man had the non-obligatory duty to marry his deceased brother's childless widow to provide her with progeny.
Buddhism
In Buddhism, the term "brother-in-law" can refer to a specific narrative context. It signifies Tissa, the younger brother of a woman, whose return to layman's life could potentially threaten her marriage and lead to a loss of wealth.
Hinduism
Within Hinduism, the term "brother-in-law" holds a complex familial role. It encompasses relationships such as the spouse of a sibling and carries implications for funeral rites, customs, and social dynamics.
Portuguese Culture
In Portuguese culture, the concept of family extends beyond the nuclear family and embraces even distant relations as cousins. This inclusive perspective on kinship influences how individuals perceive and interact with their extended family members, including brothers-in-law.
It is worth noting that the understanding and terminology of "brother-in-law" can vary within cultures and families, as seen in the example of Scottish/English and Portuguese families having different conceptions of extended family. Additionally, while English-speaking cultures may not have a specific term for a sibling's in-laws, the broader concept of "brother-in-law" is recognized and applied to various relationships.
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Brother-in-law vs co-brother
A brother-in-law is the brother of one's spouse, the husband of one's sibling, or the husband of one's spouse's sibling. In other words, your brother-in-law is your spouse's brother or your sibling's husband.
A co-brother, on the other hand, is a term used in Indian English to refer to the husband of one's wife's sister. In other words, a co-brother is the husband of your spouse's sister. This term is not commonly understood by native English speakers outside of the Indian subcontinent.
To illustrate the relationship with examples, let's consider a man named John and his spouse, Mary. John's brother-in-law could refer to either Mary's brother or John's male sibling's spouse. On the other hand, a co-brother would specifically refer to Mary's sister's husband.
In summary, while the term "brother-in-law" can have multiple meanings depending on the context, a "co-brother" specifically refers to the husband of one's wife's sister in regions where this term is used and understood.
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Are you related to your brother-in-law?
A brother-in-law is the brother of one's spouse, or the husband of one's sibling. In other words, a brother-in-law is the spouse of one's sibling or the sibling of one's spouse. This is a reciprocal relationship.
More commonly, a sibling-in-law is referred to as a brother-in-law when male, and a sister-in-law when female. The children of one's siblings-in-law are called nieces and nephews, and if necessary, it can be specified whether they are "by marriage", "by blood", or "by adoption".
In Indian English, the term "co-sibling" is used to refer to the relationship between a person's spouse and their sibling's spouse. A "co-sister" is the wife of one's sibling-in-law, and a "co-brother" is the husband of one's sibling-in-law.
Therefore, your brother-in-law is not someone you are directly related to by blood. They are your relative by marriage, or "affinity".
It is worth noting that, while uncommon, some people may consider the brother of their sibling's spouse (their sibling's brother-in-law) to also be their brother-in-law. However, this is not a standard use of the term.
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Examples of brother-in-law used in a sentence
- "My brother-in-law is blind, and my wife's sister has very little sight; they were educated in special schools."
- "I have a brother-in-law who is a jazz trumpeter."
- "My brother-in-law’s car, about fifty metres away, is on fire."
- "So your brother-in-law has the hots for you, and your husband is in denial."
- "Peter said his brother-in-law left the home before the police were called."
- "My brother-in-law is coming to stay for the weekend."
- "She likes to get her 5%, even from her problem brother-in-law; so she does not call her money in."
- "He served under his brother-in-law Lucullus in Asia (72 B.C.) and was commissioned to deliver the ultimatum to Tigranes, which gave him the choice."
- "The dispute has pitted Tatiana against the brother-in-law, Carlos Pino, and top executives of the late developer’s company, Century Homebuilders Group."
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Frequently asked questions
A brother-in-law is the brother of your spouse, or the husband of your sibling.
In Indian English, the husband of one's sibling-in-law is called a co-brother, and the wife of one's sibling-in-law is called a co-sister.
Technically, there is no rule about your brother's wife's brother being your brother-in-law. However, most people would consider him to be one.
