“If he had a son, he would try to make good his loss by claiming a hefty dowry in his marriage.”

“Arranged marriages in which parents negotiated spouses, dowries, and inheritance for their children were once common but have declined.”

“Brides are expected to bring substantial dowries with them and to defer to their husbands in most matters.”

“Male monasteries did not require dowries of their professed members and represented less of a threat to the family patrimony.”