Levirate
/ˈlɛvɪrət/noun
A social or legal custom requiring or encouraging a widow to marry her deceased husband’s brother.
Did you know?The English term is derived from Latin levir, meaning “husband’s brother,” while the related biblical practice is called yibbum in Hebrew.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*daiwēr
“Brother-in-law, especially a husband’s brother”
Ancient Greek
Greek
δαήρ (daḗr)
“Husband’s brother”
Classical Latin
Latin
levir
“Husband’s brother; brother-in-law”
Medieval Latin
Latin
leviratus
“The custom or condition associated with a levir”
19th Century
English
levirate
“A marriage custom in which a widow marries her deceased husband’s brother”
Modern English
English
levirate
“A recognized anthropological and legal term for this widow-remarriage custom”