Kalym
The bride-price paid by the groom's family in some Turkic and Central Asian communities.
Also: qalyn, kalin, kalyn, qalyng
Kalym, also written qalyn, kalin or kalyn, is a gift of livestock, money or goods from the groom's family to the bride's, a long-standing custom among Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Turkmen, Uzbek and other Turkic peoples. Defenders see it as a return of the cost of raising a daughter and a pledge of the families' bond. Critics point out that it can turn into a price for a woman, make poor families unable to marry and push the bride to endure unhappiness. It has been banned or limited in several countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan, though it continues in practice, and in Kazakhstan the bride's family traditionally also returns a dowry, the sep.
Region: Central Asia and the Caucasus