marry

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To become someone's husband or wife.

   She is going to marry her boyfriend next year.

2. 2
   verb

   To perform the ceremony that joins two people in marriage.

   A local priest will marry the young couple.

3. 3
   verb

   To join or combine two things successfully.

   The recipe marries sweet and spicy flavors perfectly.

From Middle English marien, from Anglo-Norman marïer, from Latin marītāre (“to wed”), from marītus (“husband, suitor”), from mās (“man, male”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Proto-Indo-European *méryos (“young man”), same source as Sanskrit मर्य (márya, “suitor, young man”). Compare its feminine derivatives: Welsh morwyn (“girl”), merch (“daughter”), Crimean Gothic marzus (“wedding”), Ancient Greek μεῖραξ (meîrax, “boy; girl”), Lithuanian marti̇̀ (“bride”), Avestan 𐬨𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀 (maⁱriia, “yeoman”).) Displaced native Old English hīwian.

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