different between cohabitation vs handfast

English

Etymology

From French cohabitation, from Latin cohabitationem.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ko?hæb??te???n/
• Rhymes: -e???n

Noun

cohabitation (countable and uncountable, plural cohabitations)

1. An emotional and physical intimate relationship which includes a common living place and which exists without legal or religious sanction.
2. The act of living together.
3. A place where two or more individuals reside together.
4. (biology) The act of two species living together in the same habitat.
5. (politics) Cooperation between politicians of opposing political parties; especially, in France, between a President and Prime Minister.
   • 2001, Jon Henly, The Guardian, 18 Jul 2001:

     Commentators agreed that Mr Chirac's unusually aggressive remarks, followed by the equally fierce response of Mr Jospin's government, signalled the beginning of the end for the tense but so far civil "cohabitation" under which the two men have ruled France since 1997.

Synonyms

• marriage, civil union

Derived terms

• cohabitate

Translations

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k?.a.bi.ta.sj??/

Noun

cohabitation f (plural cohabitations)

1. cohabitation (act of living together)
2. (politics) cohabitation

Related terms

• cohabiter

Further reading

• “cohabitation” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English hondfast, past participle of Middle English hondfesten (“to betroth”), from Old Norse handfesta (“to strike a bargain, pledge”), itself from hönd (“hand”) + festa (“to fasten, fix, affirm”) (compare see past- in Indo-European roots).

Noun

handfast (plural handfasts)

1. (obsolete) A hold, grasp; custody, power of confining or keeping.
2. (obsolete) A contract, agreement, covenant; specifically betrothal, espousal.

Translations

Verb

handfast (third-person singular simple present handfasts, present participle handfasting, simple past and past participle handfasted)

1. (transitive) To pledge; to bind
2. (transitive, Scotland, archaic or historical except Wicca) To betroth by joining hands, in order to allow for cohabitation before the celebration of marriage; to marry provisionally.

Adjective

handfast

1. (obsolete) Fast by contract; betrothed by joining hands.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Bale to this entry?)

Etymology 2

Calque of German handfest, itself from Hand (“hand”) + fest (“firm, strong”).

Adjective

handfast (comparative more handfast, superlative most handfast)

1. (rare) Strong; steadfast.

Translations