ਨੂੰਹNoohDaughter-in-law
Nooh (ਨੂੰਹ) is your daughter-in-law — your son's wife. She is the woman who, in the traditional Punjabi pattern, marries into the household and becomes part of its daily life.
How your Nooh connects to you
Who is your Nooh?
So much of Punjabi domestic culture revolves around the Nooh because she is the family's newest permanent member: brought home with the doli, welcomed at the doorstep with the pani varna ritual, and gradually entrusted with the running of the house. Her defining relationships — with the Sass above her and, in joint families, the Jathani and Darani beside her — supply endless material for Punjabi songs and proverbs. The highest praise for a well-loved Nooh is to call her a dhee, a daughter.
How it's used
Parents-in-law say "saadi nooh" when speaking about their son's wife, but to her face they usually use her name or the affectionate puttar or beta. Example: "Saadi nooh ne saara ghar sambh leya hai" — "Our daughter-in-law has taken the whole household into her hands."
Where Nooh comes from
Nooh comes from the Sanskrit snuṣā, a cousin of the Latin nurus and the Old English snoru — an ancient Indo-European word for daughter-in-law.
Nooh vs similar terms
Nooh and Jawai are the two directions of the same tie — son's wife and daughter's husband — yet tradition assigns them opposite scripts: the Nooh joins the family and its work, the Jawai is feted as a guest. To her husband's siblings the same woman is Bharjai or Bhabi.
Frequently asked questions
What does Nooh mean in Punjabi?
Nooh (ਨੂੰਹ) means daughter-in-law — your son's wife. It is the standard Punjabi word, equivalent to Bahu in Hindi.
What is the difference between Nooh and Bharjai?
They can be the same woman seen from different places in the family: she is Nooh to her husband's parents and Bharjai — brother's wife — to his siblings.
Related terms
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