Final answer:
The transfer of wealth from a prospective wife and her kin group to the kin group of her husband is known as bride wealth, which serves to recognize and legitimize the marriage.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term for the transfer of wealth from a prospective wife and her kin group to the kin group of her husband is bride wealth. This form of marriage compensation is prevalent across various cultures and symbolizes the groom's family's recognition of the marriage and the bride's contribution in terms of offspring and labor to the groom's lineage. As discussed by sociologist Hoineilhing Sitlhou, bride wealth can include various tangible goods like money, cattle, house goods, and jewelry, as well as symbolic items. In contrast, bride service represents another form of marriage compensation where the groom provides labor instead of material goods to the bride's family. The practice of marriage compensation plays a critical role in formalizing alliances and addressing the perceived loss of a family member in unilineal societies.