morganatic

Meaning

Adjective

• Designating a marriage (or the wife involved) between a man of higher rank and a woman of lower rank, often having various legal repercussions (typically that such a wife has no claim on the husband's possessions or title). It was not an aspect of English law, but was common in other royal houses, especially in Germany.

Origin

• From French morganatique, from the Medieval Latin phrase matrimonium ad morganaticam, from Proto-Germanic *murganagebō ("morning-gift") (whence Old English morgenġifu).