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Group Marriage

(is not Polygamy) The term, "group marriage," refers to a unique form of marital arrangment which occurs very rarely. Because group marriage occurs so rarely, the term is often mistakenly perceived as if it is another form of polygamy. It is not. Group Marriage is absolutely NOT the same thing as polygamy. Instead, group marriage operates from a more communal basis, and is a matter of greater multiplication. The Encyclop dia Britannica defines group marriage as being "the marriage of several men with several women. As an institutionalized social practice, group marriage is extremely rare; nowhere does it appear to have existed as the prevailing form of marital arrangement." (Reference). The Encyclop dia Britannica defines polygamy as "marriage to more than one spouse at a time-either polygyny, marriage with more than one woman, or polyandry (q.v.), marriage with more than one man. The term polygamy is often used, however, as a synonym for polygyny, which appears once to have been common in most of the world." (Reference). By definition, therefore, polygamy is only one of two things: polygyny or polyandry. In a semantic sense, and to make it easier to perceive the difference, polygamy can be understood as "poly monogamy." For example, in polygyny, the husband is identified as the polygamist, while his wives are not. The "gyny" part of the word, polygyny, refers exclusively to "women" in therefore defining the meaning that the polygamist husband is only married to women, females, wives. He is polygamous to them, while they are each individually monogamous to him. The wives are neither married to each other nor to anyone else. The same principle applies to polyandry. In this case, the wife is identified as the polygamist, while her husbands are not. The "andry" part of the word, polyandry, refers exclusively to "men" in therefore defining the meaning that the polygamist wife is only married to men, males, husbands. She is polygamous to them, while they are each individually monogamous to her. The husbands are neither married to each other nor to anyone else. This shows that polygyny refers to a polygamous husband with his wives who are monogamous toward him. In that same way, polyandry refers to a polygamous wife with her husbands who are monogamous toward her. However, group marriage expands that concept with greater multiplication. In group marriage, everyone in the group is married to everyone else in the group. This means that it is possible for more than one person in both genders to be part of the group marriage. This is in contrast to polygyny which has only one husband, and to polyandry which has only one wife. This explains the semantic understanding that polygamy is more easily perceived as "poly monogamy" - but it would not be correct to call polygamy as a type or form of monogamy. In sum, the differences between polygamy and group marriage are significant. 1. Polygamy can only have one from one gender married to many of the other gender; 2. can be semantically perceived as "poly monogamous" but can not really be called "monogamy." 1. Group marriage means that everyone in the group is married to everyone else in the group; 2. can be semantically perceived as "poly polygamous" but can not really be called "polygamy." For these reasons, to mistakenly identify group marriage as if it is some type or form of polygamy is as illogical and inaccurate as saying that polygamy is somehow a type or form of monogamy. It is simply not true. Group marriage is definitely NOT polygamy.

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