Final answer:
Bride wealth is a form of marriage compensation where goods or money are transferred from the bride's family to the bride, groom, or couple. It can include items such as money, cattle, jewelry, and ceremonial artifacts depending on the cultural group. Bride wealth has evolved over time, with contemporary items like gold jewelry, cars, furniture, appliances, and land being commonly exchanged in some cultures.
Step-by-step explanation:
Bride wealth, also known as bride price, is a substantial transfer of goods or money from the bride's family to the bride, the groom, or the couple. It is a form of marriage compensation that is common across cultures. Depending on the cultural group, bride wealth may involve the transfer of money, cattle, house goods, jewelry, or symbolic ritual artifacts. For example, in the Thadou Kuki culture of northeast India, Burma, and Bangladesh, historically, cows, copper gongs, silver earrings, and ceremonial clothing were exchanged, while in contemporary times, gold jewelry, cars, furniture, appliances, and land are more commonly offered as bride wealth.