Medieval · oath · interjection
Marry
MAIR-ee / MA-ree /ˈmæɹi/ (also /ˈmɛəɹi/ in much of the US)pronunciation given by a dictionary
First recordedmid-1300s
An oath 'by Mary', the Virgin Mary's name worn down by constant use. It could mean 'indeed!' or 'truly!', add emphasis, or express surprise; by Shakespeare's day it was a very common interjection.
Where it was first recorded
Dated by Etymonline (mid-14c.), which does not name the work.
Also spelled: mary, marie
In its own time
Marry, well bethought:
Today
Modern exampleMarry, that was the best pie I've had all year.
Harmless and theatrical — a mild period oath, good for playful mock-Elizabethan speech.
Originally a religious oath invoking the Virgin Mary; long since faded into a mild interjection.
Questions
What does marry mean?
An oath 'by Mary', the Virgin Mary's name worn down by constant use. It could mean 'indeed!' or 'truly!', add emphasis, or express surprise; by Shakespeare's day it was a very common interjection.
When was marry first used?
It is first recorded mid-1300s.
Can you still use marry today?
Harmless and theatrical — a mild period oath, good for playful mock-Elizabethan speech.
Sources
- marry — Etymonline (Online Etymology Dictionary)
- marry — Merriam-Webster
- marry — Wiktionary
- The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Hamlet) — Project Gutenberg
Checked 2026-09-30 · verdict: attested — found in the dictionaries and texts listed above