Exogamy

Exogamy is based on the Latin words “exo” which means “outside” and “gamy” which means “marriage”. It most societies' custom of marrying outside the clan, community, or tribe. For instance, it is a taboo for many social groups to marry a cousin; hence, they should wed someone who is far from their gene pool. Exogamy is biologically advantageous as inbreeding may lead to less healthy offspring. This term was coined by John Ferguson McLennan, a Scottish anthropologist, in 1865.