Echtgenote

Echtgenote is a Dutch term for a married woman, serving as the formal counterpart to echtgenoot (husband). It denotes a spouse within a marriage and is commonly used in legal, administrative, and ceremonial contexts as well as in formal journalism. In everyday speech, Dutch speakers more often use vrouw, or refer to the spouse by name; echtgenote appears when precision or formality is required.

Form and usage: The word is gendered: echtgenoot is the masculine form and echtgenote the feminine. The same pair exists in Afrikaans, where echtgenote means wife and echtgenoot means husband; both are common in official language and family law. In legal documents, the terms may be used to identify each spouse, sometimes in parallel phrases such as "echtgenoot en echtgenote."

Origin and social context: The term combines echt ("marital" or "true") with genote/genoot, reflecting traditional language for married partners. While still standard in formal and legal contexts, many speakers prefer neutral terms like partner in contemporary usage. See also related concepts such as huwelijk (marriage) and huwelijksvermogensrecht (matrimonial property law).