dowry
UK[ˈdaʊəri]US[ˈdaʊri]
n
property or money brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage.
Morpheme Breakdown
dow
ry
dow
to give
ry
noun suffix
Etymology
the word 'dowry' entered english in the early 14th century from anglo-french 'dowarie', which itself derived from old french 'douaire'. this traces back to the medieval latin 'dōtārium', a noun formed from the latin 'dōs' (genitive 'dōtis'), meaning 'marriage portion' or 'gift'. the core latin root is the verb 'dāre', meaning 'to give', which is of proto-indo-european origin. the semantic journey is direct: from the general act of giving to the specific property given by a bride's family to the groom at marriage. the suffix '-ry' consolidates this into a noun denoting the custom or the property itself.
Analysis
Structure: dow (to give) + ry (noun suffix)
dow (from latin 'dōs, dōt-', meaning 'dowry, gift', from the verb 'dāre', meaning 'to give'); ry (a noun-forming suffix of latin origin, often via old french '-erie', indicating a condition, state, or practice).
Examples
her family provided a substantial dowry of land and jewelry.
the practice of giving a dowry has become less common in many societies.
the historical novel described the negotiations over the bride's dowry in great detail.