Dragaera

[stevenbrust] Re: Dzur and Sex

David Silberstein davids at kithrup.com
Thu Jan 29 14:07:39 PST 2004

On Thu, 29 Jan 2004, Mark A Mandel wrote:

>
>#"MORGANTIC MARRIAGE - During the middle ages, there was an
>
>Note that it's "morgan<a>tic". You were lucky that The 'Lectric Law
>Library's Lexicon misspelled it in the same way you did. Google gives me
>44 hits for this spelling, vs. about 2,270 for the correct one.
>

The OED confirms this, and offers the following bit of etymology:

   [ad. mod.L. morganaticus (whence G. morganatisch, F. morganatique, 
   It. morganatico, etc.) evolved from the med.L. phrase matrimonium 
   ad morganaticam, where the last word is prob. synonymous with 
   morganaticum MORNING-GIFT, f. OHG. morgan (= MORN) in *morgangeba 
   morning-gift (morganegiba in Gregory of Tours, 6th c.; MHG. 
   morgengâbe). The literal meaning of the term 'morganatic 
   marriage' (matrimonium ad morganaticam) is, as is explained in a 
   16th c. passage quoted by Du Cange, a marriage by which the wife 
   and the children that may be born are entitled to no share in the 
   husband's possessions beyond the 'morning-gift'.] 

    The distinctive epithet of that kind of marriage by which a 
   man of exalted rank takes to wife a woman of lower station, with 
   the provision that she remain in her former rank, and that the 
   issue of the marriage have no claim to succeed to the possessions 
   or dignities of their father; also, occasionally, used to 
   designate the marriage, under similar conditions, of a woman of 
   exalted rank to a man of inferior station. Hence morganatic 
   husband, wife.

    A morganatic marriage is sometimes called a 'left-handed 
   marriage' (G. Ehe zur linkenhand), because in the ceremony the 
   bridegroom gave the bride his left hand instead of his right. The 
   latter term is sometimes used in a wider sense, for the 
   matrimonium inæquale of German law, in which, though the spouse of 
   inferior rank was not elevated, the children retained the rights 
   of succession.