morganatic English · revision 1294

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /mɔːɡəˈnætɪk/ ''(UK)''; /mɔɹɡəˈnætɪk/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|la-new|morganaticus]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(RHWU) perhaps through French ''morganatique'',^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) from the Medieval Latin phrase ''matrimonium ad morganaticam'' “marriage of the morning”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) in which ''morganatica'' comes from Old High German ''*morgangeba'' “morning gift”,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) like Old English ''morgengifu''.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) It is related to [[morning]] and [[gift]].^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Of a marriage between a man of high rank and a woman of lower station, in which neither she nor her children may claim his rank or property (1727–41).^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The “morning gift” was the gift a husband traditionally gave his wife on the morning after the wedding, and in such a marriage it was her only share in his estate.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU) Such a marriage was also called a ''left-handed marriage'', because the groom gave the bride his left hand.^(Etymonline) The word also applies when the wife is of higher rank than the husband.^(Etymonline)^(AHD)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1727–41 – ''morganatic''.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Of a [[marriage]] between a member of a royal or noble family and a person of lower rank, in which the lower-ranking spouse and any children have no claim to the titles or property of the higher-ranking one.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

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+ ==Word family==

+ * [[morganatically]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[morning]]

+ * [[morn]]

+ * [[gift]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}