Digamies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The practice or condition of having two spouses simultaneously; the state of being married to two partners at the same time; a form of dual marriage recognized in some cultures or contexts
2. The arrangement or custom of maintaining two marital relationships concurrently; holding two lawful spouse bonds simultaneously; a social or legal condition involving two simultaneous marriages
3. The condition of sustaining marriage ties with two individuals concurrently; engaging in a dual spousal relationship; a form of marital status encompassing two partners at once

Etymology: "Digamies" is the plural of "digamy," a noun whose history runs through Latin and Greek. The Greek "dígamos" was built from "dís," meaning "twice," and "gámos," meaning "marriage," so the underlying idea is simply a second marriage. Greek writers used "digamía" for it, and Latin borrowed the form as "digamia," where it carried the sense "twice married." English took the word from Latin, and its meaning sits right beside "bigamy," which descends from the same Greek roots by a different route. Both words describe a person who has taken more than one spouse, but "digamy" has stayed a rare and specialized term, used mainly in scholarly or comparative discussion of marriage. The plural "digamies" simply refers to multiple instances of that condition.