marry
UK[ˈmær.i]US[ˈmer.i]
v
To become the husband or wife of someone in a legal or religious ceremony.
v
To perform the ceremony that legally joins two people as husband and wife.
Etymology
The verb 'marry' entered English in the 13th century from the Old French verb 'marier', which meant 'to give in marriage'. This, in turn, derived from the Latin 'marītāre', meaning 'to wed' or 'to provide with a husband or wife'. The Latin root is 'marītus', signifying 'husband' or 'married man', a term whose deeper origins are uncertain but may be linked to the concept of a provider or a mature male. Thus, the word's journey reflects a shift from a more transactional or social act of giving someone in marriage to the modern reciprocal act of joining in matrimony.
Analysis
The word 'marry' is a simplex verb of Latin origin via Old French. Its core form cannot be meaningfully segmented into smaller, independent morphemes within modern English spelling.
Examples
They plan to marry next spring in a small ceremony.
The priest has agreed to marry them in the village church.
She married her childhood sweetheart after they reconnected.