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You are here: Home / Language / What Does “Wedlock” Mean, Where Did the Word Come From, and Why is Marriage Called “Wedlock”?

What Does “Wedlock” Mean, Where Did the Word Come From, and Why is Marriage Called “Wedlock”?

May 17, 2020 by Karen Hill

Wedd is an Anglo-Saxon word meaning “to gamble,” and there is no greater gamble than marriage.

In the days when brides were bartered by their fathers, a deal was reached with a prospective groom through an exchange of either property or cash.

A young woman would have been bought and sold for breeding purposes to be finalized in a wedlock ritual called a wedding.

This marriage led to matrimony, which in Latin means “the state of motherhood.”

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Why Is it Bad Luck For the Groom to See His Bride Before the Ceremony on Their Wedding Day?
Next Post: How Did the Tradition of Serving a Wedding Cake At a Wedding Reception Originate and What Does it Symbolize? »

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