In France the concept of la belle famille – in-laws – is broader than that in the UK where the term brother-in-law is limited to my wife's brother or my sister's husband. Seen from a French point of view, my beau-frère – brother-in-law – also includes my wife's sister's husband, while my wife's brother's wife is my belle-sœur – sister-in-law. Having more brothers- and sisters-in-law than you would otherwise have may well strike you as a great reason to come to live in France. But why do they use the words beau or belle? Are French familys-in-law more beautiful or handsome than anyone else's? Apparently not: it seems that the use of these words goes back to the Middle Ages where they were originally used simply as a mark of affection. French brothers- and sisters-in-law thus may be more numerous than in the UK but they are not necessarily any better looking. Unless, of course, they're mine.
( Charles Timoney )
[ A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi The ]
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