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
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.