Etymograph

English

spouse

Spouse comes from Latin spōnsus ‘bridegroom’, from spondeō ‘to vow, pledge’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *spend- ‘to libate’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*spend-‘to libate’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*spondéyetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*spondejōreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*spondeōreconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspondeō‘to vow, pledge’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspōnsus‘bridegroom’
  7. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400espus
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500spous
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1590spouse

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*spend-‘to libate’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*spondéyetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*spondejōreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*spondeōreconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEspondeō‘to vow, pledge’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEspōnsus‘bridegroom’
  7. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400espus
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500spous
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1590spouse

Earliest quotation: 1590, Edmund Spenser, Book II, Canto IV: “At last such grace I found, and meanes I…”

Linked words

through Proto-Italic *spondeō

correspond, 7 more

through Latin spondeō ‘to vow, pledge’

responsible, response, respond, sponsor, despondent, 8 more

Today it means

noun A person in a marriage or marital relationship.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *spend- / spouse

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