Co-opting sisters, brothers-in-law
Ratna Raman
AFRIEND posted a picture of an unfamiliar person with herself on Whatsapp, introducing the former as her ‘co-sister’. The expression specified her kinship with the wife of her husband’s brother.
‘Co-sister’ is an Indianism meandering through the English language. Possibly, some affectionate patriarch, wanting to hold the next generation together, felt that discord between married brothers could be prevented if sisterly ties existed between the wives.
Great friendship is possible with the husband’s brother’s wife or sister, especially when not living together. The expression ‘co-sister’ causes discomfort due to one niggling detail; customarily the wives of two brothers are seldom natal sisters. The nature of such joint kinship can therefore only be prescriptive. The sanitised English expression ‘sister-in-law’does not explain the intricacies of complex familial kinships. Any household with young women would have other females; a sister or a brother-in-law’s wife, or a brother’s wife. ‘Sisters-in-law’ (plural), a generic term based on benevolent familial instincts, also invokes egalitarian status under family and civil law for all women.
The English language has long abandoned the nuances of ‘nanad’, ‘jethani’, ‘devrani’ and ‘bhabhi’. (Similar equivalents still exist in other Indian languages.) The confusion about a specific sister-in-law might be resolved by the use of the proper name: “My sister-in-law, Shanta, lives in Detroit.” Only those familiar with the speaker will be aware of the kinship connection. Everyone else will be reduced to guesswork, tears or incomprehension. ‘Co-brothers’ explains the kinship between husbands of two or more sisters. Brothers-in-law, the standard English equivalent, only offers minimal information, on a need-to-know basis. Indianisms distinctly highlight the specificities of kinship. Perhaps, through such naming, kinship ties strengthen.
The word ‘co’ found its way into Middle English from the Latin ‘com’. Used as a prefix, ‘co-’ suggests a certain collaboration as in ‘co-production’ (of a movie). It speaks about mutuality, as in ‘co-existence’ (of all beings). It suggests partnership in the case of ‘co-founder’ and ‘co-author’ and a shared equal status in the instance of ‘co-pilot’.
Two people living together are said to ‘co-habit’. A committee comprising six members can opt to increase numbers and ‘co-opt’ extra members.
‘Co-efficient’refers to a uniform number (in maths) used to multiply a variable. In physics, it is a factor measuring a particular property. ‘Co-enzymes’ in biology are non-protein compounds.
Schools and colleges where both boys and girls study are co-educational (co-ed) institutions. The noun ‘co’ is the short form for company.
CO is the abbreviation for Commanding Officer as well as Conscientious Objector; a person refusing military duty on grounds of pacificism, religion, conscience or disability. Muhammad Ali, the late boxing legend, was a CO to the Vietnam War.
The symbol for cobalt is Co while the formula for carbon monoxide is CO. C/O can be for ‘certificate of origin’ or ‘care of’(postal symbol). In accounting, C/O refers to monetary loss ‘carried over’. Our discussion on ‘co and com’ must be carried over into life.
