Do you know the meaning of the words you use?
Do you know the meaning of the words you use?
Do you know the meaning of the words you use?
Dec 12 2024
Dec 12 2024
Etymology can be roughly described as the study of the meaning of words, looking at their roots — usually found in Latin or Greek for western languages.
Many languages have more than one word used to describe the same thing, action, or quality, with each term used in a specific context. One such word, or set of words, used in English is the following: matrimony - marriage - wedding. What is the difference between the three? Is there any substantial difference?
A quick google search reveals that most people consider "matrimony" as a fancy way of saying "marriage". After looking into the etymology of "matrimony", I beg to differ. Googling the etymology of "matrimony" was an interesting experience. Many of the top results for the search query "etymology of matrimony" give answers that are not exactly contextualized; for reference, see the etymology of "matrimony" as per this popular etymological website: “c. 1300, matrimoine, "the married state, the relation of husband and wife, wedlock; the sacrament of marriage," from Old French matremoine "matrimony, marriage" and directly from Latin mātrimōnium "wedlock, marriage" (in plural "wives"), from mātrem (nominative māter) "mother" (see mother (n.1)) + -mōnium, suffix signifying "action, state, condition." “
Thinking of the meaning commonly associated with the word "patrimony" might start to give you an idea of where a contextualized etymological description of "matrimony" looks like. The Wikipedia entry on "matrimony" was surprisingly accurate, while being quite short and straight to the point: "from Latin mātrimōnium (“marriage, wedlock”), from māter (“mother”) + -mōnium (“obligation”)". A straight-forward explanation of this entry is given by another source: "matrimony is literally the state that makes a woman a mother." While "matrimony" relates to the obligation of a woman to become a mother, "patrimony" — which could be considered the obvious masculine counterpart of "matrimony" — does not refer to an obligation but rather to a right, indicating a state of possession. In his 2007 book "Ancient Rome in So Many Words", author Christopher Francese gives context to the early days of the two terms’ usage: “Patrimonium means not marriage or fatherhood but inherited property and fortune, implying that fatherhood is a vehiclefor passing down property. Patrimonium and matrimonium reflect the asymmetrical rolesand duties of father and mother in the Roman patriarchal family.”
It appears that the word "matrimony", while used interchangeably with "marriage" in some contexts — "marriage" meaning "the state of being united as spouses in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law" as per Merriam Webster’s dictionary — does not at all mean the same thing. Is the term "matrimony" representative of what marriage means today? Should we carry the patriarchal heritage inherent to the very roots of this term?
Etymology can be roughly described as the study of the meaning of words, looking at their roots — usually found in Latin or Greek for western languages.
Many languages have more than one word used to describe the same thing, action, or quality, with each term used in a specific context. One such word, or set of words, used in English is the following: matrimony - marriage - wedding. What is the difference between the three? Is there any substantial difference?
A quick google search reveals that most people consider "matrimony" as a fancy way of saying "marriage". After looking into the etymology of "matrimony", I beg to differ. Googling the etymology of "matrimony" was an interesting experience. Many of the top results for the search query "etymology of matrimony" give answers that are not exactly contextualized; for reference, see the etymology of "matrimony" as per this popular etymological website: “c. 1300, matrimoine, "the married state, the relation of husband and wife, wedlock; the sacrament of marriage," from Old French matremoine "matrimony, marriage" and directly from Latin mātrimōnium "wedlock, marriage" (in plural "wives"), from mātrem (nominative māter) "mother" (see mother (n.1)) + -mōnium, suffix signifying "action, state, condition." “
Thinking of the meaning commonly associated with the word "patrimony" might start to give you an idea of where a contextualized etymological description of "matrimony" looks like. The Wikipedia entry on "matrimony" was surprisingly accurate, while being quite short and straight to the point: "from Latin mātrimōnium (“marriage, wedlock”), from māter (“mother”) + -mōnium (“obligation”)". A straight-forward explanation of this entry is given by another source: "matrimony is literally the state that makes a woman a mother." While "matrimony" relates to the obligation of a woman to become a mother, "patrimony" — which could be considered the obvious masculine counterpart of "matrimony" — does not refer to an obligation but rather to a right, indicating a state of possession. In his 2007 book "Ancient Rome in So Many Words", author Christopher Francese gives context to the early days of the two terms’ usage: “Patrimonium means not marriage or fatherhood but inherited property and fortune, implying that fatherhood is a vehiclefor passing down property. Patrimonium and matrimonium reflect the asymmetrical rolesand duties of father and mother in the Roman patriarchal family.”
It appears that the word "matrimony", while used interchangeably with "marriage" in some contexts — "marriage" meaning "the state of being united as spouses in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law" as per Merriam Webster’s dictionary — does not at all mean the same thing. Is the term "matrimony" representative of what marriage means today? Should we carry the patriarchal heritage inherent to the very roots of this term?