Bachelor

From ArticleWorld

A bachelor is a man who is marriageable but currently unmarried. In some cases, this term is reserved for men who have never been married. Spinster is the female equivalent, though it is often used pejoratively.

History

The word’s roots are in Old French, referring to a young squire in training. In 1300 this term was loaned to the English, referring to the lowest stage of knighthood. The term was then used to describe the junior member of a guild or university, a young monk or recently appointed canon. It is also used to describe those who have received the preliminary degree at a university (the bachelor’s degree). The use of “bachelor” in relation to an unmarried man can be dated to 1385. The use of the female equivalent, “bachelorette” can be dated to 1935.

Laws and customs

Unmarried men have had to abide by certain laws in many countries over the course of history. For example:

• Citizens in Sparta who remained unmarried were not allowed to watch the gymnastics exercises of women and had to march naked through the marketplace in winter.

• In Athens, although there was no legislation, some laws resembled that of the Spartan laws mentioned above, including a law that laid heavy penalties on unmarried people.

• In Great Britain, taxes have been imposed more heavily on bachelors than on others occasionally throughout history.

• In other countries, “punishments” are more customs that relate to a teasing game: For instance, German men who are unmarried on their 30th birthday must sweep the stairs of the town hall until a virgin kisses them.