espousal

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | 244 words | Copyright

espousal XIV. — OF. esposaille, chiefly espousailles fem. pl. (mod. épousailles) :- L. spōnsālia, sb. use of n. pl. of spōnsālis, f. spōnsus SPOUSE; see -AL2.
So espouse marry XV; embrace opinions XVII.

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T. F. HOAD. "espousal." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "espousal." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-espousal.html

T. F. HOAD. "espousal." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-espousal.html

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