adultery English · revision 832

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /əˈdʌltəɹi/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|adulterie]] (about 1415), a respelling after Latin of earlier ''avoutrie'' (about 1300).^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) ''Avoutrie'' is [[bor|fro|avoutrie]],^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) from ''avoutre'' “adulterer”, from [[la|adulter|t=adulterer]];^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) the later form is partly [[bor|la|adulterium]].^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate) The Latin words come from ''adulterāre'' “to corrupt; to commit adultery”,^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(Hendrickson 2008) from ''ad'' “to” and ''alterāre'' “to alter”.^(Etymonline) The word is related to [[adulterate]], not to [[adult]].^(Etymonline)^(Hendrickson 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Violation of the marriage bed; voluntary sexual intercourse of a married person with someone other than the spouse (c. 1300 in Etymonline; 1366 in the OED).^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In Middle English the word could also mean idolatry, perversion or heresy.^(Etymonline) In Scripture its meaning was extended to unchastity generally (1388),^(OED 1989) and in translations of the seventh commandment it is understood to forbid lewdness in thought as well as act.^(Etymonline)^(Wiktionary) The obsolete sense “adulteration, corruption” is recorded from 1609.^(OED 1989) As a crime it was once classed as single adultery, with an unmarried person, or double adultery, with a married person.^(Etymonline) The Old English word was ''ǣwbryce'', “breach of lawful marriage”, like German ''Ehebruch''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 1300 – ''avoutrie''.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1366 – violation of marriage.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1388 – unchastity in general (scriptural).^(OED 1989)

+ * about 1415 – the Latinized form ''adultrie, adulterie''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * 1609 – adulteration, corruption (obsolete).^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Voluntary [[sexual intercourse]] between a married person and someone other than his or her lawful [[spouse]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(religion)'' Unchastity or faithlessness in general.^(Wiktionary)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[adulterate]]

+ * [[adulteration]]

+ * [[adulterant]]

+ * [[adulterer]]

+ * [[adulteress]]

+ * [[adulterine]]

+ * [[adulterous]]

+ * [[alter]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}