Wordwyrt

spousal

/ˈspaʊzəl/SPOW-zuhl
UK form converted from the US by rule · unchecked
/ˈspaʊzəl/SPOW-zuhl

Meaningrelating to a spouse

Common meaning: to do with a husband or wife

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Journey through time

  1. Latinsponsus‘promised or betrothed’source
  2. Old Frenchespous‘married partner’source
  3. Middle Englishspuse‘spouse’source
  4. Englishspouse‘husband, wife or married partner’
  5. Englishformed in English from spousespousal‘to do with a husband or wife’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Formed in English from spouse + -al.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), SPOUSE, p.583 · scan

Source words

  • sponsus Latin · source word “promised or betrothed”

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