husband
/ˈhʌzbənd/
noun
Origin
Old Norse
húshóndi — house-master
Overview
Meaning Now
- A married man, specifically a woman's partner in marriage.
- A person who manages or conserves resources; a steward (archaic).
Literal older meaning
house-dweller or house-master
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
hūsbonda
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The word originally described a householder or the head of a family, rather than specifically a man joined in marriage. Over the medieval period, the meaning focused on the role of the house-manager, later narrowing to the current matrimonial status.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*hūsą + *bundô
“dweller of the house”
- Old Norse
húshóndi
“house-master”
- Old English
hūsbonda
“master of a house”
Introduced into English through Old Norse influence.
- Middle English
housbond
“master of a household or spouse”
- Modern English
husband
“married man”
Semantic narrowing occurred over time.
Connections
Word parts
hūs
root
house
bonda
root
dweller or tiller
Related across languages
Old Norse
húshóndi
master of the house
Danish
husbond
master of the house
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.