handfast
- noun
- /ˈhændfæst/
- Archaic
- In olden days, a handfast was often marked by the joining of hands in a simple yet meaningful ceremony.
Examples
-
It was a settled thing in p72 then minds that Bear and Samana would become handfast as soon as they were old enough to make choices of that sort, and I made no objection, for who was I to stand in the way of a friend's happiness?
Fiction book (1991) -
To give them privacy, when I saw how it was going, I took Bear and Nithe for a boating trip to Lyoness to visit Ector's daughter, and when we returned, we found they had become handfast.
Fiction book (1991) -
During the ceremony, the couple was handfast, symbolizing their commitment to each other.
-
The villagers celebrated when young couples decided to be handfast, embracing their love in a traditional manner.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A ceremony and celebration where two people get married
46
2.4
A close joining of two things that work well together
17
1.1
A formal event where two people promise to marry and exchange vows
8
5.3
A formal ceremony when two people become married
8
3.2
A marriage ceremony carried out by a government official rather than a religious leader
8
2.3
A formal event where two people promise to be partners
5
7.7
A formal promise to marry someone
1
9.9
An engagement or a wedding ceremony
1
9.9
A traditional ceremony where two people join hands to promise to marry each other
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Handfast was used for a simple marriage promise that came from joining two people's hands, and the fast part means 'firm' or 'bound'. So a handfast was an informal marriage or strong promise made by joining hands.