Home UK English spousage

Meaning of spousage in English:

spousage

noun

rare

  • 1The fact or state of being married; wedlock. Also occasionally figurative, especially with reference to the idea of symbolic marriage to God or Christ.

    In early use frequently with prepositions, as in in spousage, of spousage, with reference to the legitimacy of children.

  • 2A spouse; spouses collectively.

Pronunciation

spousage

/ˈspaʊsɪdʒ/ /ˈspaʊzɪdʒ/

Origin

Late Middle English; earliest use found in Cursor Mundi: a Northumbrian poem of the 14th century. Partly (i) from Anglo-Norman esposage, espusage wedlock, marriage, betrothal, with elision of the initial vowel.