Talk:Betrothal

Inacurate definition?
According to the OED the current definition of betrothal is practicly synonomous with engagement. However, this definition seems to imply that that it is something more of a formalized ritual of documentaion and determined by a third party. This can be very problematic in the sense that it takes a great deal of power out of the idea of engagement. —The preceding Wikipedia comment was added by Tom. 4:33, 26 February 2007 (UTC).

Merger proposal
What is the difference between Betrothal and Engagement? --91.96.59.30 (talk) 17:40, 11 December 2009 (UTC)


 * I agree and I have made the proposal formally. The degree of overlap between the two articles is large, and a merged article would be the best place to make distinctions between the two terms. patsw (talk) 12:38, 13 July 2010 (UTC)


 * I can't speak for anyone else, but in Judaism and the Bible, Betrothal is when you give the ring - the death penalty for adultery applies at this point (even more severe than after marriage, according to tradition) and a divorce is required, but the couple do not live together. See Erusin.Mzk1 (talk) 18:18, 13 July 2010 (UTC)


 * Post-merger, the article will need to be be better organized into sections which discuss the religious significance of betrothal. patsw (talk) 23:34, 13 July 2010 (UTC)