Gharjamai
Encyclopedia
Across the Asian sub-continent, the term Gharjamai refers to a live-in son-in-law
. The term literally means househusband in Indian languages such as Hindi
and Gujarati
. The term is used across the sub-continent with different pronunciations and synonyms. In Urdu
the word Ghardamad is used where Damad is the Urdu word for son-in-law. The pronunciation Gharjawai is also used.
The everyday meaning pertains to any man that gets married and then lives with his wife's family or depends on the wife's family for support. The term carries a social stigma in Indian society, as husband is traditionally considered responsible for running the household and depending on the wife's family for support is held in a negative view.
As Indians emigrate to Occidental
countries, the term Gharjamai has in turn been Westernised, and abbreviated to 'GJ' and is used as a light-hearted insult whenever a married man acts as a subordinate to his wife or her parents.
Films and TV serials both with a serious and light hearted view have been made about this phenomenon.
Son-in-Law
Son-in-Law was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and an influential sire, especially for sport horses.The National Horseracing Museum says that Son-in-Law is "probably the best and most distinguished stayer this country has ever known." Described as "one of the principal influences for stamina in...
. The term literally means househusband in Indian languages such as Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
and Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
. The term is used across the sub-continent with different pronunciations and synonyms. In Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
the word Ghardamad is used where Damad is the Urdu word for son-in-law. The pronunciation Gharjawai is also used.
The everyday meaning pertains to any man that gets married and then lives with his wife's family or depends on the wife's family for support. The term carries a social stigma in Indian society, as husband is traditionally considered responsible for running the household and depending on the wife's family for support is held in a negative view.
As Indians emigrate to Occidental
Western culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
countries, the term Gharjamai has in turn been Westernised, and abbreviated to 'GJ' and is used as a light-hearted insult whenever a married man acts as a subordinate to his wife or her parents.
Films and TV serials both with a serious and light hearted view have been made about this phenomenon.