junior levirate

The junior levirate is a specific form of the levirate custom, where a widow is required or expected to marry her deceased husband's younger brother. The term "levirate" originates from the Latin word for "husband's brother".12

This practice often serves to ensure the continuation of the deceased husband's lineage, particularly if he died without children. In such cases, any offspring from the new marriage are considered the children of the deceased man, not the biological father. The "brother" in this custom can be a biological sibling or someone socially recognized as such. The junior levirate sometimes coexists with the sororate, a custom where a widower marries his deceased wife's sister.1