Polyandry, marriage of a woman to two or more men at the same time; the term derives from the Greek polys, “many,” and anēr, andros, “man.” When the husbands in a polyandrous marriage are brothers or are said to be brothers, the institution is called adelphic, or fraternal, polyandry.

Can a woman marry two husbands in America?

Polygamy is the act or condition of a person marrying another person while still being lawfully married to another spouse. It is illegal in the United States. The crime is punishable by a fine, imprisonment, or both, according to the law of the individual state and the circumstances of the offense.

How common is polyandry?

A comprehensive survey of traditional societies in the world shows that 83.39% of them practice polygyny, 16.14% practice monogamy, and . 47% practice polyandry. Almost all of the few polyandrous societies practice what anthropologists call fraternal polyandry, where a group of brothers shares a wife.

In which country can a woman have more than one husband?

A proposal by the South African government to legalise polyandry - when a woman has more than one husband at the same time - has led to howls of protest from conservative quarters. This does not surprise Professor Collis Machoko, a renowned academic on the topic.

Why is polyandry so rare?

… polygyny is relatively common and polyandry rare. This prevalence of polygyny is thought to result from the greater resource investment females have in their large, immobile eggs compared with males investment in small, motile sperm.

What is reverse polygamy called?

wife, at one time.” Heres the important part: polygamy refers generally to multiple spouses or multiple marriages, not husbands or wives in particular. The opposite of polygamy is monogamy. What about a woman who has more than one husband at one time? Thats polyandry.