Daughter
A female offspring; a girl or woman in relation to her parents.
A daughter is a female offspring; a girl or a woman in relation to her parents. Daughterhood is the state, condition or quality of being someone's daughter. The male counterpart is a son. From a biological perspective, a daughter is a first degree relative. The word daughter also has several other connotations, including reference to a female descendant or consanguinity, and can be used as a term of endearment from an elder.
- definition
- Female offspring
- male counterpart
- Son
- biological relation
- First degree relative
- first daughter in Abrahamic tradition
- Luluwa
- adoption preference (US)
- Slight preference for girls over boys
- fertility clinic preference
- Daughters usually preferred over sons
Lore & Background
In patriarchal societies, daughters often have different or lesser familial rights than sons. A family may prefer to have sons rather than daughters and subject daughters to female infanticide. In some societies, it is the custom for a daughter to be 'sold' to her husband, who must pay a bride price. The reverse custom, where the parents pay the husband a sum of money to compensate for the financial burden of the woman, is known as a dowry.
Reader's Guide
The role of the daughter has been an important theme in literature, especially when exploring relationships between family members and gender roles. Through exploration of the relationship between children and their parents, readers can draw conclusions about the impact of parenting style on the growth and development of a child's character and personality. Notable daughters whose character and development has been impacted by their parents in literature have been recorded. Prospective parents seeking to adopt a child display a slight preference for girls over boys, and in fertility clinics that enable sex preferences, daughters are usually preferred over sons. In the traditions of various Abrahamic religions, Luluwa is regarded as the first daughter to have ever existed.
Did You Know?
- The male counterpart of a daughter is a son.
- In Abrahamic traditions, Luluwa is regarded as the first daughter to have ever existed.
- In some societies, a daughter may be 'sold' to her husband, who must pay a bride price.
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