Final answer:
The correct answer is a) Dowry, which refers to the transfer of property or wealth from the bride to her husband's family at marriage. This practice varies culturally, with some women maintaining control over their dowry, and it has historic legal relevance, particularly in societies such as ancient Rome.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term used historically for goods, money, or property that a bride would bring to her husband at marriage is dowry. A dowry served to provide the bride with wealth within her husband's lineage, and its handling varied from one culture to another. In some cases, women retained rights to the dowry as married women, while in others, it was turned over to the husbands. For example, in Nepalese Brahman society, women would receive a dowry at marriage and utilized it to elevate their status within the marriage. In contrast to bride wealth, which is a transfer from the groom's to the bride's family, and bride service, which involves contracted labor, the dowry system was more about the direct contribution of the bride to the marital union. Roman law was particularly strict about dowries and the management of property within marriage, ensuring that dowries needed to be repaid fully under certain circumstances, emphasizing the importance and sanctity of the dowry arrangement.