I was looking up a synonym for the verb "to manage" at one of my favourite sites,
Merriam-Webster, and among other definitions, it offered
1b: to treat with care: husband.
Huh? Intrigued, I clicked and found the transitive verb "to husband":
Main Entry: 2husband
Function: transitive verb
Date: 15th century
1 a: to manage prudently and economically b: to use sparingly : conserve
2archaic : to find a husband for : mate
— hus·band·er noun
Interesting..... So, who husbands who in a marriage? Is the man labelled the husband because he husbands or because he is husbanded? Husbander or husbandee.... All a mystery......
2 comments:
In most of the cases I've seen, I'm pretty sure the wife isn't the one more likely ...
"1 a: to manage prudently and economically
b: to use sparingly : conserve".
Not saying good or bad; just saying.
In our grandparents' generation, many wives would be the ones managing the finances in the family. The husbands worked, came home, handed over their salaries to the wives for paying the bills and buying groceries and all the other household needs.
I'm not saying the husbands were definitely being husbanded, but the verb usage of that word is one that predates the extravagant spending habits of wives today.
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