betroth
English
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betroth
- /bɪˈtɹəʊð/ UK
- /-ˈtɹəʊθ/ UK
- /bəˈtɹoʊð/ Canada, US
- /-ˈtɹɔθ/ Canada, US
- /bəˈtɹɑθ/ cot caught merger
- /bɪˈtɹəʉð/ Australia
- /bɪˈtɹɐʉð/ Australia
Rhymes with -əʊð, -əʊθ, -ɒθ
Where it comes from
From Middle English bitrouthen, bitreuthen (“of a man: to pledge to marry; to give (a woman) in marriage, arrange the marriage of”), from bi- (prefix forming transitive verbs from nouns) + trouth, treuthe (“faithfulness, fidelity, specifically marital fidelity; promise, undertaking, specifically a promise of marriage; truth; etc.”) (from Old English trīewþ, trēowþ (“fidelity; good faith, honour; assurance of good faith, covenant, troth; truth”), from Proto-Germanic *triwwiþō (“contract; promise”), from Proto-Indo-European *dóru (“tree; hence, firm, hard; faithful, true”)), possibly modelled after Old English trēowsian (“to pledge oneself; to prove oneself to be true”)). By surface analysis, be- + troth.
verb betroths · betrothing · betrothed · betrothen · betroth
- Of a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse; to plight one's troth to. And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him goe and returne vnto his houſe, leſt he die in battel, and another man take her.
- Often of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; specifically and chiefly, to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man; to affiance. He betrothed his daughter to a distant relative.
- Of God: to enter into a relationship with (believers, or the church as a whole); also, of a priest: to pledge (himself) to the church prior to being consecrated as a bishop. And I [God] will betroth thee [his people] vnto me foreuer; yea, I will betroth thee vnto me in righteouſneſſe, and in iudgement, and in louing kindneſſe, and in mercies. I will euen betroth thee vnto me in faithfulneſſe, and thou ſhalt know the Lord.
- To pledge or promise oneself to (a cause); to espouse; also (sometimes reflexive), to pledge or promise (oneself or one's efforts) to a cause or to do something. To priuate fight they haue betroutht themſelues, / Of which conflicte, the end muſt needes be this, / That one do liue, that other die the death.
Translations
Every language
verb of a man: to promise to take (a woman) as a future spouse
| Español | comprometerse en matrimonio, desposarse |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 婚約する kon'yaku suru |
| 中文 | 訂婚 /订婚 dìnghūn |
| Français | se fiancer |
| Deutsch | sich verloben |
| Italiano | fidanzarsi |
| Ελληνικά | μνηστεύομαι mnistévomai |
| Русский | обруча́ться obručátʹsja, обручи́ться obručítʹsja, помо́лвиться pomólvitʹsja |
verb often of a parent or guardian: to promise that (two people) be married to each other; to promise that (a woman) be given in marriage to a man
| Español | prometer (en matrimonio), comprometer en matrimonio, desposar |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 聘 pìn, 許嫁 /许嫁 xǔjià, 許配 /许配 xǔpèi |
| Português | prometer |
| Français | fiancer |
| Deutsch | verloben |
| Italiano | fidanzare, promettere in sposa |
| Ελληνικά | μνηστεύω mnistévo |
| Română | logodi |
| Русский | обруча́ть obručátʹ, обручи́ть obručítʹ, помо́лвить pomólvitʹ |
Talk about this word "betroth." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/betroth. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. betroth. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/betroth "betroth." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/betroth.Cite this
@misc{betroth_2026,
title = {betroth},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/betroth},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
