Where does “spouse” come from?

spouse (Middle English) comes from Anglo-Norman espus, from Old French espose, from Latin spōnsa — bride.

Ancestry of “spouse”, step by step

spouse traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Anglo-Norman espus

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Anglo-NormanespusAlternative form of espos
2Old Frenchesposewife
3Latinspōnsabride

via Old French espuse

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchespusewife
Every word from Latin spōnsa →Every word from Old French espose →Every word from Anglo-Norman espus →
spouse — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer