co-wife

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Synonyms 1.3.2 Related terms 1.3.3 Coordinate terms 1.3.4 Translations 1.4 References

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

co- +‎ wife

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈkoʊwaɪf/^[1]

[edit] Noun

co-wife (plural co-wives)

1. In a polygamous marriage, another wife of a woman's husband.
   • 1892, Kipling & Balestier, Naulahka, page 247:

     If a co-wife had sought the lives of those three of thine.

   • 1990, Syed A. A. Razwy, Khadija-tul-Kubra (the Wife of the Prophet Muhammed) May Allah be Pleased with Her: A Short Story of Her Life), page 165:

     In fact, [Ayesha] was more jealous of Khadija, the dead wife, than she was of any of her living co-wives.

   • 2000, Marjorie Shostak, Nisa, the life and words of a !Kung woman, page 152:

     If the senior wife decides to make life unbearable for her co-wife and their husband, she is likely to succeed in forcing the newcomer to leave.

   • 2008, Miriam Koktvedgaard Zeitzen, Polygamy: a cross-cultural analysis, page 32:

     polygamous societies differ markedly with regards to allowing kin, especially sisters, to become co-wives. Sororal polygamy is practised in some societies because it is believed to foster greater cohesiveness among co-wives sharing values and norms, whereas it is specifically forbidden in other polygamous societies.

[edit] Synonyms

• co-bride, fellow-wife, wife-in-law

[edit] Related terms

• sister-wife
• co-in-law

[edit] Coordinate terms

• co-husband

[edit] Translations

• Arabic: ضر ḍirr (orig. "rival")
• Armenian: bambišn (?)
• Chinese: 媵 (Mandarin: yìng)
• Esperanto: kunedzino, boedzino
• French: coépouse or co-épouse, sœur-épouse
• Hebrew: צרה tsarah (orig. "rival")
• Inupiak: nuliiraq (du. aippaġiik, pl. aippaq)
• Pashtun: bən
• Persian: هوو havū, بنانج banānj
• Spanish: coesposa es(es)
• Swahili: mke mwenza ("companion wife")

[edit] References

• Notes:

1. ^ OED