husband

noun

Origin

Old Norse

húsbóndi — master or inhabitant of a house

Overview

Meaning Now

A married man in relation to his spouse.

Literal older meaning

master or inhabitant of a house

Language path

Old Norse → Middle English → Modern English

Earliest form

húsbóndi

Earliest period

Old Norse

Journey

Husband comes from Old Norse húsbóndi, built from words for house and inhabitant or master. It first described a householder and later narrowed to a married man, while the related verb husband still means to manage resources carefully.

Evolution

Old Norse
húsbóndi
“householder or master of a house”
Middle English
husbonde
“a householder or farmer”
Modern English
husband
“a married man”

Connections

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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.