Where does “espousal” come from?
espousal (Middle English) comes from Old French espousailles, from Latin sponsalia, from Latin sponsalis, from Latin sponsa, from Latin sponsus, from Latin spondeo, from Proto-Italic spondeō, from Proto-Indo-European spondéyeti — to libate.
Ancestry of “espousal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | espousailles | — |
| 2 | Latin | sponsalia | betrothal, espousal; wedding |
| 3 | Latin | sponsalis | of betrothal |
| 4 | Latin | sponsa | bride; fiancée |
| 5 | Latin | sponsus | A groom; A fiancé; A bail, surety |
| 6 | Latin | spondeo | I promise, bind or pledge myself, contract, vow;... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | spondeō | to promise, to pledge |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | spondéyeti | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | spend- | to libate |