Where does “spousal” come from?
Spousal comes from English spouse, which derives from Latin sponsa and sponsus, both from Latin spondere meaning to pledge or promise.
spousal (English): of or relating to marriage; of or relating to a...
Definitions
- of or relating to marriage; of or relating to a...
Ancestry of “spousal”, step by step
spousal traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English spouse
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | spouse | A person in a marriage or marital relationship;... |
| 2 | Middle English | spous | — |
| 3 | Old French | espos | husband |
| 4 | Latin | spōnsus | a groom |
| 5 | Latin | spondeō | to promise, bind or pledge oneself, contract, vow |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | spondeō | to promise, to pledge |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | spondéyeti | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | spend- | to libate |
via Middle English spousaille
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | spousaille | spousal: marriage; nuptials; espousal |