marriage
Meaning
the legal or religious relationship between two people who are married to each other
the state of being married
Structure
Usage
Their marriage has lasted for over forty happy years.
The law recognizes marriage as a binding legal contract.
She wrote a book about the institution of marriage in different cultures.
Etymology
The word 'marriage' entered English in the late 13th century via Anglo-French mariage, from the Old French verb marier, meaning "to give in marriage, to wed." This French term derives from the Latin marītāre, a verb meaning "to wed," which itself is based on marītus for "husband" or "married man." The Latin root marītus is thought to be related to mas, maris (male), suggesting an ancient link to the concept of a male partner. The suffix -age, of Latin origin via French, consistently forms nouns denoting a state, condition, or result, as seen in words like 'bondage' or 'courage.' Thus, the literal construction of 'marriage' is "the state or condition of being wed," a meaning that has remained stable from its medieval adoption into modern English.
Analysis
- marri: From Old French marier (to marry), from Latin marītāre (to wed), from marītus (husband). This is the core verb root. - age: A suffix forming nouns, from Old French -age, from Latin -āticum, indicating a state, condition, or result of an action.