brother-in-law

See also: brother in law

English Edit

Alternative forms Edit

brother in law

Etymology Edit

From Middle English brother-in-lawe; equivalent to brother +‎ -in-law.

Pronunciation Edit

(General American) IPA^(key): /ˈbɹʌðɚ ɪn ˌlɔ/
(cot–caught merger, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈbɹʌðɚ ɪn ˌlɑ/
(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈbɹʌðəɹ ɪn ˌlɔː/
Audio (US) (file)

Noun Edit

brother-in-law (plural brothers-in-law or (archaic) brethren-in-law or (colloquial, nonstandard) brother-in-laws)

A male relative of one's generation, separated by one degree of marriage:
1. The brother of one's spouse.
2. The husband of one's sibling.
(uncommon) Co-brother-in-law: A male relative of one's generation, separated by two degrees of marriage:
1. The husband of the sibling of one's spouse.
  - 2009, Donal Lowry, “Kettle, Thomas Michael (‘Tom’)”, in Dictionary of Irish Biography, Cambridge University Press:
    He was appalled by trench conditions and the prolongation of the war, a disillusionment further encouraged by the Easter rising, in which his brother-in-law, Francis Sheehy-Skeffington (qv), was murdered by a deranged Anglo-Irish officer, J. C. Bowen-Colthurst (qv).
2. The brother of the spouse of one's sibling.

Quotations Edit

c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:
We at our own charge shall ransom straight
His brother-in-law, the foolish Mortimer;

Derived terms Edit

Related terms Edit

Translations Edit

one's husband's brother

Afrikaans: swaer
Albanian: kunat (sq) m
Arabic: شَقِيق زَوْج‎ m (šaqīq zawj) (husband), شَقِيق زَوْجَة‎ m (šaqīq zawja) (wife), سِلْف‎ m (silf)
Armenian: տագր (hy) (tagr)
Aromanian: cumnat m
Asturian: cuñáu (ast) m
Azerbaijani: qayın (az)
Bengali: দেবর (bn) (debor)
Bikol Central: bayaw
Bulgarian: девер (bg) m (dever)
Burmese: ခဲအို (my) (hkai:ui), မတ် (my) (mat)
Catalan: cunyat (ca) m
Cebuano: bayaw, bayaw nga lalaki (sa bana)
Chinese:
Cantonese: 大伯 (daai⁶ baak³) (older brother), 叔仔 (suk¹ zai²) (younger brother)

Mandarin: 大伯子 (zh) (dàbǎizi) (elder brother), 小叔子 (zh) (xiǎoshūzi) (younger brother)

Min Nan: 大伯 (zh-min-nan) (tōa-peh) (older brother), 阿叔仔 (zh-min-nan) (a-chek-á) (younger brother), 小叔 (sió-chek) (younger brother), 細叔／细叔 (sè-chek, sòe-chek) (younger brother), 細叔仔／细叔仔 (sè-chek-á, sòe-chek-á) (younger brother), 細漢叔仔／细汉叔仔 (sè-hàn-chek-á, sòe-hàn-chek-á) (younger brother)
Czech: švagr (cs) m
Dalmatian: comnut m
Danish: svoger (da) c
Dutch: zwager (nl) m (Netherlands), schoonbroer (nl) m (Flanders)
Erzya: парайде (parajďe) (younger), альне (aľńe), какжаля (kakžaľa) (older)
Esperanto: bofrato (eo)
Estonian: küdi (et)
Ewe: nyo
Finnish: lanko (fi), kyty (fi) (archaic)
French: beau-frère (fr) m
Friulian: cugnât m
Galician: cuñado m
Georgian: მაზლი (mazli)
German: Schwager (de) m, Schwäher (de) m (obsolete)
Greek: κουνιάδος (el) m (kouniádos)
Ancient: δαήρ m (daḗr)
Greenlandic: ningaaq
Hebrew: גִּיס‎ (he) m (gís), יָבָם‎ (he) m (yavám) (esp. if husband died childless)
Hindi: देवर (hi) (devar) (younger brother), जेठ (hi) (jeṭh) (older brother)
Hungarian: sógor (hu)
Icelandic: mágur (is) m
Ido: bofratulo (io)
Ilocano: bayaw, kayong
Ingrian: kyty
Irish: deartháir céile m
Italian: cognato (it) m
Japanese: 義理の兄 (ぎりのあに, giri no ani), 義兄 (ぎけい, gikei) (elder brother); 義理の弟 (ぎりのおとうと, giri no otōto), 義弟 (ぎてい, gitei) (younger brother); 義兄弟 (ぎきょうだい, gikyōdai) (elder and younger brothers); (お)義兄さん ((お)にいさん, (o-)niisan) (elder brother) (colloquial); 小舅 (こじゅうと, kojūto) (elder or younger brother)
Kashmiri: درُٛے‎
Korean: (elder) 시숙(媤叔) (ko) (sisuk), 시(媤)아주버니 (ko) (siajubeoni), (younger) 시동생(媤同生) (ko) (sidongsaeng)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: ھێوەر‎ (hêwer)

Northern Kurdish: tî (ku) m
Latgalian: dīvers
Latin: lēvir m
Latvian: dieveris m
Lithuanian: dieveris m
Macedonian: девер m (dever)
Malay: abang ipar (elder), adik ipar lelaki (younger), ipar lelaki, adik ipar (younger), ipar
Maltese: silf
Maori: taokete (of a male), autāne (of a female)
Maranao: ipag
Middle English: brother-in-lawe
Mwani: nlamu
Nanai: кэли
Norman: bieau-fréthe m (Jersey)
Northern Sami: máhka
Norwegian:
Bokmål: svoger (no) m

Nynorsk: svoger m, verbror m
Occitan: conhat (oc), cunhat (oc) m
Old English: tācor m
Pashto: لېور‎ (ps) m
Pennsylvania German: Schwoger m
Persian: هیور‎ (hivar) (dialectal)
Polish: szwagier (pl) m pers, dziewierz (pl) m pers (obsolete)
Portuguese: cunhado (pt) m
Romani: salo m
Romanian: cumnat (ro) m
Russian: де́верь (ru) m (déverʹ)
Sanskrit: देवृ (sa) m (devṛ), देवर (sa) m (devara)
Sardinian: connadu m, connatu m, connau m
Scots: guid-brither
Scottish Gaelic: bràthair-cèile m
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: де̏вер m

Roman: dȅver (sh) m
Sicilian: cugnatu m
Slovene: svák (sl) m
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: bratš cłowjeka m, swak m (literary), šwogor m (colloquial)
Spanish: cuñado (es) m
Swedish: svåger (sv) c, svärbror
Tagalog: (literally) bayaw (tl) m
Taos: p’ǫ́yna (younger), pòpóna (older)
Tarifit: arwes m
Turkish: kayın (tr)
Ukrainian: ді́вер (uk) m (díver)
Urdu: دیور‎ ? (devar), جیٹھ‎ ? (jeth)
Venetian: cugnà m, cugnado m, cognà (vec) m, cognado m
Vietnamese: anh chồng, em chồng (vi)
Vilamovian: śwöger m
Welsh: brawd yng nghyfraith (cy) m
Zazaki: vıstewre (diq)

one's wife's brother

Afrikaans: swaer
Albanian: kunat (sq) m
Armenian: աներձագ (hy) (anerjag), աներորդի (hy) (anerordi)
Asturian: cuñáu (ast) m
Azerbaijani: qayın (az)
Bengali: শালা (śala), শ্যালক (bn) (śêlok)
Bikol Central: bayaw
Bulgarian: шурей (bg) m (šurej)
Burmese: ယောက်ဖ (my) (yaukhpa.)
Catalan: cunyat (ca) m
Cebuano: bayaw, bayaw nga lalaki (sa asawa)
Chinese:
Cantonese: 大舅 (yue) (daai⁶ kau³) (wife's older brother), 舅仔 (yue) (kau³ zai²) (wife's younger brother)

Mandarin: 内兄 (zh) (nèixiōng) 大舅子 (zh) (dàjiùzi) (older brother); 内弟 (zh) (nèidì) (younger brother), 婦兄／妇兄 (zh) (fùxiōng) (wife's older brother), 小舅子 (zh) (xiǎojiùzi) (wife's younger brother), 大舅 (zh) (dàjiù) (wife's older brother), 小舅 (xiǎojiù) (wife's younger brother), 婦弟／妇弟 (zh) (fùdì) (wife's younger brother)

Min Nan: 妻舅 (chhe-kū), 舅仔 (kū-á), 大舅 (tōa-kū) (wife's older brother), 某舅 (bó͘-kū), 妻舅仔 (chhe-kū-á)
Czech: švagr (cs) m
Danish: svoger (da) c
Dutch: zwager (nl) m (Netherlands), schoonbroer (nl) m (Flanders)
Esperanto: bofrato (eo)
Estonian: nääl (et)
Ewe: nyo
Finnish: lanko (fi)
French: beau-frère (fr) m
Galician: cuñado m
Georgian: ცოლისძმა (colisʒma)
German: Schwager (de) m, Schwäher (de) m (obsolete)
Greek: κουνιάδος (el) m (kouniádos)
Greenlandic: ningaaq
Hebrew: גִּיס‎ (he) m (gís)
Hindi: साला (hi) (sālā)
Hungarian: sógor (hu)
Icelandic: mágur (is) m
Ido: bofratulo (io)
Ilocano: bayaw, kayong
Ingrian: näälä
Irish: deartháir céile m
Japanese: 義理の兄 (ぎりのあに, giri no ani), 義兄 (ぎけい, gikei) (wife's elder brother); 義理の弟 (ぎりのおとうと, giri no otōto), 義弟 (ぎてい, gitei) (wife's younger brother); 義兄弟 (ぎきょうだい, gikyōdai) (wife's elder and younger brothers); (お)義兄さん ((お)にいさん, (o-)niisan) (wife's elder brother) (colloquial); 小舅 (こじゅうと, kojūto) (wife's elder or younger brother)
Kashmiri: ۂہَر‎ (hạhar)
Korean: 처남(妻男) (ko) (cheonam)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: ژِنبِرا‎ (jinbira)

Northern Kurdish: bûra (ku) m
Latgalian: svaiņs ?
Latvian: svainis m
Lithuanian: svainis ?
Macedonian: шура m (šura)
Malay: abang ipar (elder), adik ipar lelaki (younger), ipar lelaki, adik ipar (younger), ipar
Middle English: brother-in-lawe
Mwani: nlamu
Norman: bieau-fréthe m (Jersey)
Northern Sami: máhka
Norwegian:
Bokmål: svoger (no) m

Nynorsk: svoger m, verbror m
Pashto: اخښی‎ (ps) m
Pennsylvania German: Schwoger m
Polish: szwagier (pl) m pers, szurzy (pl) m (arhaic or dialectal)
Portuguese: cunhado (pt) m
Romani: salo m
Russian: шу́рин (ru) m (šúrin)
Sanskrit: स्याल (sa) m (syāla)
Scots: guid-brither
Scottish Gaelic: bràthair-cèile m
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: шурак m, шу̑ра m

Roman: šurak (sh) m, šȗra (sh) m
Slovene: svák (sl) m
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: bratš žeński m, swak m (literary), šwogor m (colloquial)
Spanish: cuñado (es) m
Swedish: svåger (sv) c
Tagalog: bayaw (tl) m (literally)
Taos: mą̀kupòpóna (elder), p’ǫ́yna (younger), pòpóna (older)
Tarifit: arwes m
Turkish: kayınço (tr), kayınbirader (tr)
Udi: севичи (seviči)
Ukrainian: шу́рин m (šúryn)
Urdu: سالا‎ m (sālā)
Vietnamese: anh vợ, em vợ
Welsh: brawd yng nghyfraith (cy) m

one's sister's husband

Armenian: փեսա (hy) (pʿesa), քեռայր (hy) (kʿeṙayr)
Asturian: cuñáu (ast) m
Azerbaijani: yeznə (az)
Bikol Central: bayaw
Bulgarian: зет (bg) m (zet)
Burmese: ခဲအို (my) (hkai:ui), မတ် (my) (mat), ယောက်ဖ (my) (yaukhpa.)
Catalan: cunyat (ca) m
Cebuano: bayaw, bayaw nga lalaki (sa igsoong babaye)
Chinese:
Cantonese: 姐夫 (ze² fu¹) (older sister's husband), 妹夫 (mui⁶ fu¹) (younger sister's husband)

Mandarin: 姐夫 (zh) (jiěfu) (older sister's husband), 妹夫 (zh) (mèifu) (younger sister's husband), 姊夫 (zh) (zǐfū) (older sister's husband), 姊丈 (zh) (zǐzhàng) (older sister's husband), 妹倩 (zh) (mèiqiàn) (younger sister's husband), 妹婿 (zh) (mèixù) (younger sister's husband), 妹丈 (zh) (mèizhàng) (younger sister's husband)

Min Nan: 姊夫 (chí-po͘, chí-hu) (older sister's husband), 姊丈 (chí-tiǔⁿ) (older sister's husband), 妹婿 (bēr-saì, bē-saì, maī-saì, mōe-saì) (younger sister's husband)
Czech: švagr (cs) m
Danish: svoger (da) c
Dutch: zwager (nl) m (Netherlands), schoonbroer (nl) m (Flanders)
Erzya: шичаля (šičaľa) (younger sister's husband), эзналя (eznaľa) (older sister's brother)
Esperanto: bofrato (eo)
Estonian: õemees (et)
Ewe: nyo
Finnish: lanko (fi)
French: beau-frère (fr) m
Galician: cuñado m
Georgian: სიძე (siʒe)
German: Schwager (de) m, Schwäher (de) m (obsolete)
Greek: γαμπρός (el) m (gamprós)
Greenlandic: ningaaq
Hebrew: גִּיס‎ (he) m (gís)
Hindi: जीजा (hi) ? (jījā)
Hungarian: sógor (hu)
Icelandic: mágur (is) m
Ido: bofratulo (io)
Ilocano: bayaw, kayong
Ingrian: lanko
Irish: deartháir céile m
Japanese: 義理の兄 (ぎりのあに, giri no ani), 義兄 (ぎけい, gikei) (elder sister's husband); 義理の弟 (ぎりのおとうと, giri no otōto), 義弟 (ぎてい, gitei) (younger sister's husband); 義兄弟 (ぎきょうだい, gikyōdai) (elder or younger sister's husband); (お)義兄さん ((お)にいさん, (o-)niisan) (elder sister's husband) (colloquial)
Kashmiri: بیمہٕ‎ (bēmụ)
Korean: 매부(妹夫) (ko) (maebu) (man's), 형부(兄夫) (ko) (hyeongbu) (woman's elder's), 제부(弟夫) (jebu) (woman's younger's)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: زاوا‎ (zawa)
Latin: sororius
Latvian: svainis m
Macedonian: зет m (zet)
Malay: abang ipar (elder), adik ipar lelaki (younger), ipar lelaki, adik ipar (younger), ipar
Middle English: brother-in-lawe
Navajo: hayé
Norman: bieau-fréthe m (Jersey)
Northern Sami: máhka
Norwegian:
Bokmål: svoger (no) m

Nynorsk: svoger m, verbror m
Pashto: اخښي‎ m, اوښی‎ m
Pennsylvania German: Schwoger m
Polish: szwagier (pl) m pers
Portuguese: cunhado (pt) m
Romanian: cumnat (ro) m
Russian: зять (ru) m (zjatʹ)
Sanskrit: जामातृ (sa) m (jāmātṛ), आबुत्त (sa) m (ābutta)
Scots: guid-brither
Scottish Gaelic: bràthair-cèile m
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: зе̏т m, сва̑к) m, шо̑гор m

Roman: zȅt (sh) m, svȃk (sh) m, šȏgor (sh) m
Slovene: svák (sl) m
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: sotśiny muski m, swak m (literary), šwogor m (colloquial)
Spanish: cuñado (es) m
Swedish: svåger (sv) c
Tagalog: siyaho (elder sister's husband), bayaw (tl)
Taos: mą̀kupòpóna (from younger sister's marriage), p’ǫ́yna (younger), pòpóna (older)
Telugu: బావ (te) (bāva)
Turkish: enişte (tr)
Vietnamese: anh rể
Welsh: brawd yng nghyfraith (cy) m
Zazaki: ênışte, zama (diq) m

one's brother's husband

Swedish: svåger (sv) c

one's husband's sister's husband

Armenian: փեսա (hy) (pʿesa), բաջանաղ (hy) (baǰanaġ)
Bikol Central: bilas
Bulgarian: зет (bg) m (zet), зълвеник m (zǎlvenik)
Cebuano: bilas, bilas nga lalaki (sa igsoong babaye sa bana)
Danish: svoger (da) c
Dutch: zwager (nl) m (Netherlands), schoonbroer (nl) m (Flanders)
Esperanto: bofrato (eo)
Finnish: lanko (fi)
French: beau-frère (fr) m
German: Schwippschwager (de) m
Hebrew: גִּיס‎ (he) m (gís)
Icelandic: svili (is) m
Ilocano: abirat a lalaki
Japanese: 義理の兄 (ぎりのあに, giri no ani), 義兄 (ぎけい, gikei) (husband's elder sister's husband); 義理の弟 (ぎりのおとうと, giri no otōto), 義弟 (ぎてい, gitei) (husband's younger sister's husband); 義兄弟 (ぎきょうだい, gikyōdai) (husband's elder or younger sister's husband)
Kashmiri: زٲمی‎ (zạ̄mī), زٲمِیہِ‎ (zạ̄miyi)
Korean: 시(媤)누 남편(男便) (sinu nampyeon), 시매부(媤妹夫) (simaebu)
Malay: abang ipar (elder), adik ipar lelaki (younger), ipar lelaki, adik ipar (younger), ipar
Norman: bieau-fréthe m (Jersey)
Polish: szwagier (pl) m pers
Portuguese: concunhado (pt) m, cunhado (pt) m
Romanian: cumnat (ro) m
Russian: зять (ru) m (zjatʹ)
Scots: guid-brither
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: сва̑к) m

Roman: svȃk (sh) m
Spanish: concuñado (es) m
Tagalog: bilas na lalaki
Turkish: enişte (tr)
Zazaki: cêri

one's wife's sister's husband

Armenian: քենակալ (hy) (kʿenakal), բաջանաղ (hy) (baǰanaġ)
Azerbaijani: bacanaq (az)
Bashkir: бажа (baja)
Bats: ბა̄ჯ (bāǯ)
Bikol Central: bilas
Bulgarian: баджанак (bg) m (badžanak)
Cebuano: bilas, bilas nga lalaki (sa igsoong babaye sa asawa)
Chechen: бажа (baža)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 姨夫 (zh) (yífū), 襟兄 (zh) (jīnxiōng) (wife's older sister's husband), 襟弟 (zh) (jīndì) (wife's younger sister's husband)
Danish: svoger (da) c
Dutch: zwager (nl) m (Netherlands), schoonbroer (nl) m (Flanders)
Esperanto: bofrato (eo)
Estonian: kälimees
Finnish: lanko (fi)
French: beau-frère (fr) m
Georgian: ქვისლი (kvisli)
German: Schwippschwager (de) m
Hebrew: גִּיס‎ (he) m (gís)
Icelandic: svili (is) m
Ilocano: abirat a lalaki
Ingrian: svojakka
Ingush: бажа (baža)
Japanese: 義理の兄 (ぎりのあに, giri no ani), 義兄 (ぎけい, gikei) (wife's elder sister's husband); 義理の弟 (ぎりのおとうと, giri no otōto), 義弟 (ぎてい, gitei) (wife's younger sister's husband); 義兄弟 (ぎきょうだい, gikyōdai) (wife's elder or younger sister's husband)
Kashmiri: سٲجُو‎ (sạ̄juv)
Korean: 동서(同壻) (ko) (dongseo)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: ئاواڵزاوا‎ (awallzawa)

Northern Kurdish: hevling (ku) m, hevzava (ku) m
Macedonian: баџанак m (badžanak), баџо m (badžo)
Malay: abang ipar (elder), adik ipar lelaki (younger), ipar lelaki, adik ipar (younger), ipar
Mingrelian: ქვიშილი (kvišili)
Norman: bieau-fréthe m (Jersey)
Northern Sami: spile
Pashto: باجه‎ (ps) m, سانډو‎ m
Polish: szwagier (pl) m pers
Portuguese: concunhado (pt) m, cunhado (pt) m
Romanian: cumnat (ro) m
Russian: своя́к (ru) m (svoják)
Scots: guid-brither
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: пашѐног m, пашенац m, сва̑к) m, ба́џо m

Roman: pašènog (sh) m, pašánac (sh) m, svȃk (sh) m, bádžo (sh) m
Spanish: concuñado (es) m
Svan: მექუ̂შე̄ლ (mekûšēl)
Tagalog: bilas na lalaki
Turkish: bacanak (tr)
Tuvan: бажа (baja)
Zazaki: bacenağ

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} ipar (id) (either brother-in-law or sister-in-law)
Italian: ^{(please verify)} cognato (it) m
Latin: ^{(please verify)} levir m, (genitive sg and nominative pl) ^{(please verify)} leviri, (genitive pl) ^{(please verify)} levirorum
Old English: ^{(please verify)} āþum m (sister’s husband)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: ^{(please verify)} ба́џо m

Roman: ^{(please verify)} bádžo (sh) m
Slovak: ^{(please verify)} švagor m

References Edit

“brother-in-law”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
“brother-in-law”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
"brother-in-law" in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (Cambridge University Press, 2007)
Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary (1987-1996)