husband English · revision 1966

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈhʌzbənd/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It comes from Middle English ''husbonde'',^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)^(AHD) [[inh|ang|hūsbonda|t=master of a house]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[bor|non|húsbóndi|t=master of the house]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from ''hús'' “house”^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) and ''bóndi'' “householder, dweller”,^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) from ''búandi'', present participle of ''búa'' “to dwell”.^(AHD)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) It is related to [[house]] and [[bond]] “serf”.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The master of a house, the male head of a household (about 1000).^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The Old Norse word meant a man with land and livestock.^(AHD) From the late 13th century ''husband'' replaced Old English ''wer'' as the word for a married man in relation to his wife,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) and ''wer'' survives only in [[werewolf]].^(Etymonline) Old English also had a feminine ''hūsbōnde'' “mistress of a house”.^(AHD) Other early senses, such as a farmer (about 1220) and a steward or manager (about 1450), survive in [[husbandry]] and [[husbandman]].^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) From the steward sense came the verb, to manage thriftily (early 15th century),^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995) and so to conserve or use sparingly.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c1000 – the master of a house.^(OED 1989)

+ * c1220 – a tiller of the soil, a farmer.^(OED 1989)

+ * c1290 – a married man.^(OED 1989)

+ * c1440 – verb, to manage thriftily.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * c1450 – a steward, a manager.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1565 – verb, to provide with a husband.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1680s – ''hubby''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A married man, especially in relation to his spouse.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(British)'' A manager or steward.^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(archaic)'' A prudent or thrifty manager.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To manage or use carefully and economically; to conserve.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(archaic)'' To find a husband for.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(archaic)'' To till or cultivate.^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[husbandly]]

+ * [[husbander]]

+ * [[hubby]]

+ * [[husbandage]]

+ * [[husbandman]]

+ * [[husbandry]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[house]]

+ * [[bond]]

+ * [[wife]]

+ * [[werewolf]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}