Legal Definitions - levir

A levir is a term, historically used in legal contexts such as Roman law, to refer to the brother of one's spouse. It describes the specific familial relationship between a person and their spouse's brother.

• Example 1: A Husband's Brother

  Scenario: Sarah is married to Michael. Michael has a younger brother named David.

  Explanation: In this situation, David is Sarah's levir because he is the brother of her husband, Michael.

• Example 2: A Wife's Brother-in-Law

  Scenario: John is married to Emily. Emily has an older brother named Robert.

  Explanation: From John's perspective, Robert is his levir, as Robert is the brother of his wife, Emily.

• Example 3: Historical Familial Structure

  Scenario: In a historical society governed by specific family laws, if a woman named Lena married a man named Lars, and Lars had a brother named Sven, Sven would be considered Lena's levir.

  Explanation: This relationship might have carried particular social or legal expectations, such as specific duties or a defined role within the extended family, demonstrating the significance of the levir in the societal structure of the time.