...I found

morganatic - designating the marriage between a person of high rank and a person of low rank by which the latter is not elevated to the rank of the former

Purgamentum init, exit purgamentum

Read all about my travels around the world here.

[This message was edited by BobHale on Sun Feb 2nd, 2003 at 3:45.]

I saw this word recently used in the newspaper. Apparently some papers relating to the abdication of King Edward VIII have just been declassified. Edward was still hoping to keep the crown and suggested a morganatic marriage, where Wallis Simpson remained a commoner. The politicians of the day wouldn't hear of it, though. From what I hear, Mrs Simpson wouldn't have been too keen, either.

I'm digging this out of the archival cobwebs of my dank mental dungeon, but I seem to recall that at one point in time the Romans had marriage "cum manus," or "with hand," and "sine manus," the two defining whether the woman would be her husband's equal or his inferior. Do you Latin scholars remember any of this?

I think you are right, Asa, but the only reference on the Web I could find with a quick search mentions the institution only in passing: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~law113/bbs/0027.html

An alternative phrase for a morganatic marriage is a left-handed marriage, yet another indication of the opprobrium attached to sinistrality to add to those listed in the thread about left-handedness.

By chance, do you know if Morgan has any derivation from this word or vice-verse?

I beleive the name morganatic marriage refers to the fact that the bride recieved no goods other than the traditional morning gift following the wedding night. That is, 'morgan' = 'morning', and presumably has the same meaning in the proper name.

I'd understood 'left-handed marriage' to mean 'living in sin'. On checking, I find it defined as 'a morganatic marriage' in the "offical" sources, but it can be found elsewhere in the usage I'd understood.

quote:

---

That is, 'morgan' = 'morning', and presumably has the same meaning in the proper name.

---

So, my granddaughter's middle name translates to morning. She is the sunshine of my life, so that is only fitting! Thank you shufitz for making my day.