Arrha

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A symbolic gift given by a groom to represent his commitment to a marriage An object used during wedding ceremonies to signify an engagement or promise A physical manifestation of a vow exchanged in traditional nuptial practices
2. A ceremonial token presented by a bridegroom as a tangible sign of betrothal and fidelity
3. An object exchanged in wedding rituals functioning as a formal symbol of mutual promise

Etymology: In ancient Rome, a betrothal was sealed with a pledge, and the word for that pledge was "arrha," meaning "deposit" or "pledge." A bridegroom would give a sum of money or a gift to his future wife as a guarantee that the marriage would go ahead. The gift was a binding promise in material form, and if the engagement was broken, the arrangement had financial consequences. English borrowed the term directly from Latin, and it kept the sense of a financial pledge tied to marriage. The word now refers specifically to the groom's engagement gift, the object that stands for the commitment rather than the commitment itself.