Where does “matrimony” come from?
Matrimony comes from Old French matremoine, from Latin matrimonium, literally "the condition of being a mother," derived from Latin mater and Proto-Indo-European méh₂tēr, both meaning "mother."
matrimony (English): Marriage; the state of being married; The...
Definitions
- Marriage; the state of being married; The...
Ancestry of “matrimony”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | matremoine | — |
| 2 | Latin | mātrimōnium | marriage, matrimony, wedlock |
| 3 | Latin | -monium | Forms collective nouns and nouns designating... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | -monyom | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -mō | Creates agent nouns from verbs |