betrothal etymology

Etymology

• From Old French betrothail, from the verb betrother ("to betroth"), from Gallo-Romance trothare ("to trust"), which is in turn from Frankish treu ("true, faithful"). Ultimately from Proto-West-Germanic *treuwaz.

Meaning and Origin

• Betrothal is the state or period of being betrothed, which is the act of entering into a formal agreement to marry someone.
• The term has its origins in the ancient custom of exchanging rings or other tokens of engagement, which symbolized the couple's intention to marry.
• Betrothals were often arranged by parents or guardians, and the couple themselves may not have had a say in the matter. However, in many cultures, betrothal is now considered a voluntary and mutual decision between two people.
• Betrothals are typically followed by a period of time during which the couple gets to know each other better and prepares for marriage. The length of this period varies depending on the culture.
• In some cultures, betrothal is still considered a binding agreement and breaking it can have legal consequences. However, in most cultures, betrothal is now considered to be a non-binding agreement that can be broken by either party without any legal penalty.

betrothal relate terms

• betroth

  Etymology Old French betrotier Vulgar Latin betrothiare Late Latin betrotare from M

• truth

  Etymology Old English treowþ from Proto Germanic treuwĭþą meaning faithfulne

• betrothed

  Etymology Betrothed derives from the Old French word betrother meaning to promise i

• bestowal

  Etymology The word bestowal is derived from the Middle English word bestow which in

• betrothal

  Etymology From Old French betrothail from the verb betrother to betroth from Gallo

• wedding

  Etymology The word wedding derives from the Old English word wedd which means a ple

• ring

  Etymology The word ring derives from the Old English word hring which is cognate wit

• tire

  Etymology The word tire comes from the Old French word tirer meaning to pull Thi

• rite

  Etymology The word rite comes from the Latin word ritus which means religious cerem

• promise

  Etymology The word promise comes from the Old French word promesse which in turn de

• mirror

  Etymology The word mirror comes from the Old French word mireor which in turn comes

• gossamer

  Etymology Gossamer originated in the Middle English word gossomer which is derived

• psyche

  Etymology The word psyche comes from the ancient Greek word ψυχή psukhē mean

• abortion

  Etymology From Latin abortus meaning a miscarriage or premature birth Derived from