bigamy

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*ǵem-“to marry”
2. Ancient Greek · derived fromγάμος“marriage; matrimony”
3. Latin · derived frombigamus“bigamous”
4. Late Latin · derived frombigamia“having two spouses simultaneously; second marriage”
5. Middle French · derived frombigamie“having two spouses simultaneously; second marriage; marrying a widow or widower”
6. Anglo-Norman · derived frombigamie
7. Middle English · inherited frombigamie“having two spouses simultaneously, bigamy; second marriage; marrying a widow or widower”
8. English todaybigamy

From Middle English bigamie (“having two spouses simultaneously, bigamy; second marriage; marrying a widow or widower”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman bigamie and Middle French bigamie (“having two spouses simultaneously; second marriage; marrying a widow or widower”) (modern French bigamie (“bigamy”)), and its etymon Late Latin bigamia (“having two spouses simultaneously; second marriage”), from Late Latin, Latin bigamus (“bigamous”) + -ia (variant of -ius (suffix forming adjectives from nouns)). Bigamus is derived from bis (“twice, two times”) + Ancient Greek γάμος (gámos, “marriage; matrimony”) (from Proto-Indo-European *ǵem- (“to marry”)). The English word is analysable as bi- + -gamy.

Words from the same roots