The word marriage has its roots in the English half marriage, which first appeared in 1250-1300 CE. This, in turn, is derived from the old French, marier (to marry) and, ultimately, from the Latin, marītāre, which means to provide for a husband or wife, and marītāri, which means to marry. You can use the term marriage to refer to both the actual wedding ceremony and the state of being married. The Latin word for marriage is matrimony, which is a combination of mater (mother) and monium (action or condition).
In the past, marriage was essentially synonymous with making a woman a wife and mother. The Latin word vulgar is also the source of Italian maritaggio, Spanish pairing and comparative mariachi. The origin of the word marriage can be traced back to the Latin word “matriu” which means “mother” and “the action, state or condition”. This then evolved into the old French word “matremoinme”, which became the Middle English word “maraige”.
