- For other uses, see Son (disambiguation).
A son is a male offspring; a boy, man, or male animal in relation to his parents. The female equivalent is a daughter.
In the vernacular English of the United States, the term is also one of endearment between young Black males mainly in New York City, although it can also connote a sense of superior standing on the speaker's part, as the word carries a link to references of age and, therefore, the speaker's seniority.
Most fathers and mothers in preindustrial societies attach high value to conceiving a son; often a son is considered more valuable than a daughter. The reason for this is that in those societies, males have higher social status, and are physically stronger. In China, the One-child policy decrees that families are only permitted one child in an effort to stop rapid population growth. Male children are the only chances for carrying on the family name and females are oftern aborted as a fetus or are even murdered. Female children are usually put up for adoption, especially by families that have multiple children.
Among Trinitarian Christians, "The Son" refers to Jesus Christ.
The content of this page is retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son under GFDL
