When two people get married, they become spouses.
In order to know the meaning of the term spouse, it is necessary, first of all, to discover its etymological origin. In this case, we can state that it derives from Latin, exactly from “coniux – coniugis” which is the result of the sum of the following components:
-The prefix “con-”, which can be translated as “together”.
-The noun “iugum”, which is synonymous with “yoke”.
Spouse concept
The dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) indicates that a spouse is one who is related to another person through marriage .
The members of a couple who are married, therefore, are spouses of each other. For example: “My spouse is traveling right now, could I come back next Tuesday?” , “My spouse lost his job, so we are having some financial difficulties” , “The spouses looked very happy during the party” .
Spouses have rights and obligations from their marital union.
The term in law
For the law , spouses are the natural persons who establish a marriage . This union confers rights and obligations that are reciprocal: the spouses must be faithful, to mention one of the obligations; Otherwise the other party can file a lawsuit for adultery.
Spouse is a common gender noun ( “the spouse” , “the spouse” ). This makes it possible to equate the rights and obligations of the two members of the marriage and makes explicit the legal equality that exists between them. On the other hand, as homosexual marriage is legalized in several countries , legislation has the need to use common gender terms.
A separation of spouses is one of the situations that can bring about the most conflicts within the family. And it is not only a sentimental breakup, with the emotional damage that this entails for both parties, but also an end to a home created. Specifically, the aspects that most require the intervention of a judge are the custody of children, the support of children and even the division of assets.
happy spouses
To ensure that spouses are happy and enjoy their full relationship, it is important that they have complicity, that they maintain good communication, that they respect each other's privacy and space and that they do not hesitate to have moments to enjoy common activities. It is also essential that you never stop caring for your spouse and showing them the love you have for them.
In the same way, it must be taken into account that any of the spouses who later wish to remarry, in order to do so, must previously have the papers in order. That is, you must have a divorce.
Beyond what is specified by dictionaries and legislation, the concept of spouse is also often used to name the members of a de facto couple . Even though these people have not married, when they live in the same home they establish a type of society that is analogous to a marital bond: that is why they are named spouses.