Betrothability

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The attribute signifying an individual's eligibility to enter into a marriage contract represents the level of readiness one possesses for a formal romantic engagement
2. The quality that indicates a person's suitability and legal readiness to enter an arranged marriage agreement
3. A characteristic describing someone's potential or appropriateness for formal betrothal connecting them to another

Etymology: "Betrothability" is a plain English formation: the adjective "betrothable" (able to be betrothed) with the suffix "-ity," which turns an adjective into a noun meaning a quality or state. "Betroth" itself is an older verb, built from "be-" (an intensifying prefix) and "troth," an Old English word for faith, loyalty, or a pledge of truth. To betroth someone was originally to pledge them in faith, which is why the word has long carried a sense of solemn promise. "Betrothable" appeared in English as a derivative of "betroth," and "betrothability" follows the same pattern, using a suffix that English has attached to adjectives since the medieval period. The noun is rare, mostly found in dictionaries and in discussions of legal or historical marriage customs, so its meaning rests almost entirely on its parts: the capacity to be pledged in marriage.