“Espousals were of two kinds: sponsalia per verba de futuro, which take place if man and woman promise each other that they will hereafter become husband and wife; sponsalia per verba de praesenti, which take place if they declare that they take each other as husband and wife now, at this very moment.” 2 Frederick Pollock & Frederic W. Maitland, History of English Law Before the Time of Edward I 368 (2d ed. 1899).
espousals
espousals ([schwa]-spow-z[schwa]lz), n. Mutual promises between a man and a woman to marry one another. [Cases: Breach of Marriage Promise 4–5. C.J.S. Breach of Marriage Promise §§ 5–6.]
