Final answer:
Bridewealth option (b) involves a transfer of wealth from the groom to the bride's family, cementing alliances and compensating for the loss of a family member, whereas a dowry is wealth transferred from the bride's family for her benefit.
Step-by-step explanation:
The payment made by an Azande groom to his wife's family that involves partial payment at the wedding ceremony and the remainder afterward is an example of bridewealth. This practice, which is common across various cultures, includes the transfer of money, cattle, household goods, jewelry, or symbolic ritual artifacts to the bride's family as part of the marriage transaction.
The notion of bridewealth helps to formalize the alliance between two lineages and compensates the bride's family for the loss of a person and their potential offspring. In contrast to bridewealth, a dowry is provided by the bride’s family to her and is used within her husband's household, sometimes providing her with a level of economic security and higher social status within patrilineal societies.