brother-in-law

See also: brother in law

English

Alternative forms

• brother in law

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (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

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

1. 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.
2. (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

• 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

• co-brother-in-law
• half brother-in-law

 

Related terms

• co-wife
• daughter-in-law
• father-in-law
• mother-in-law
• sister-in-law
• son-in-law

 

Translations

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)
• Aramaic:

  Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܐܝܼܕ݂ܡܵܐ (īḏmā)

• Armenian: տագր (hy) (tagr)
• Aromanian: cumnat m
• Asturian: cuñáu (ast) m
• Azerbaijani: qayın (az)
• Bengali: দেবর (bn) (debor)
• Bikol Central: bayaw (bcl)
• 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)

  Hokkien: 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)

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

• Chuvash: хунчӑкам (hunč̬ăk̬am)
• 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 (lv) 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 (keli)
• 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: pʼǫ́yna (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 (older than husband), em chồng (younger than husband)
• Vilamovian: śwöger m
• Welsh: brawd yng nghyfraith (cy) m
• Zazaki: vıstewre (diq)

one's wife's brother

• Afrikaans: swaer
• Albanian: kunat (sq) m
• Aramaic:

  Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܒܲܪܚܡܵܝܵܐ (barḥmāyā)

• Armenian: աներձագ (hy) (anerjag), աներորդի (hy) (anerordi)
• Asturian: cuñáu (ast) m
• Azerbaijani: qayın (az)
• Bengali: শালা (śala), শ্যালক (bn) (śêlok)
• Bikol Central: bayaw (bcl)
• 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)

  Hokkien: 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)

  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)

• 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 (lv) 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), pʼǫ́yna (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 (older than wife), em vợ (younger than wife)
• Welsh: brawd yng nghyfraith (cy) m

one's sister's husband

• Aramaic:

  Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܚܸܬ݂ܢܵܐ (ḥiṯnā)

• Armenian: փեսա (hy) (pʻesa), քեռայր (hy) (kʻeṙayr)
• Asturian: cuñáu (ast) m
• Azerbaijani: yeznə (az)
• Bikol Central: bayaw (bcl)
• 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)

  Hokkien: 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)

  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)

• 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) m (jījā) (elder sister)
• 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 (lv) m
• Macedonian: зет m (zet)
• Malay: abang ipar (elder), adik ipar lelaki (younger), ipar lelaki, adik ipar (younger), ipar
• Mari:

  Eastern Mari: веҥе (veŋe)

• 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
• Punjabi: ਭਣਵਈਆ m (bhaṇvaīā), ਭਣੂਜਾ m (bhaṇūjā)
• 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), pʼǫ́yna (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) (pʻesa), բաջանաղ (hy) (baǰanaġ)
• Bikol Central: bilas (bcl)
• 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

• Aramaic:

  Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܝܲܓ݂ܝܼܣܵܐ (yaḡīsā)

• Armenian: քենակալ (hy) (kʻenakal), բաջանաղ (hy) (baǰanaġ)
• Azerbaijani: bacanaq (az)
• Bashkir: бажа (baja)
• Bats: ბა̄ჯ (bāǯ)
• Bikol Central: bilas (bcl)
• 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)
• Uyghur: باجا (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)
• Slovak: ^{(please verify)} švagor m

References

• “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)