Missing Forms of Address

Question

Suppose your wife married another man.  What would you call him?Suppose your husband married another woman, what would you call her?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

errr....you mean after you got divorced first, right? There is no special name for an ex-wife/husband's new partner.

People say things like 'my ex-husband's wife' or 'my ex-wife's third husband' or 'my ex's new partner' or whatever is appropriate.

(If you did mean married at the same time as married to you, well, this is not legal in English speaking countries so we have no word for it. Someone who illegally marries another partner is a bigamist, but the new partner doesn't have a name).

Khoff · Answer

Of course, when speaking directly to the person you would just use his or her name. I presume, though, that you are asking how you would refer to them when talking about them to someone else..

Suppose your wife married another man. What would you call him?

"Mary's new husband," or, if years had passed, "Mary's husband," or "my ex-wife's husband."

Suppose your husband married another woman, what would you call her?

This one is more interesting. If you were all polygamous Mormons, I think you would call her "my co-wife." If, as actually happened in a family I know, the other woman was twenty-five years younger, she might be referred to sarcastically as "the child bride." In most circumstances, "my ex-husband's new wife," or "John's second wife" or just "John's wife."

Do other languages have a specific term for this?

Well Wisher · Answer

This is really interesting!!!!  Thanks a lot indeed.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Suppose your wife married another man. What would you call him? Unlucky.

Suppose your husband married another woman, what would you call her? I'd call him a bigamist. The swine didn't even get a divorce first. I'd call her a home-wrecker.

Best wishes, Clive

Well Wisher · Answer

Thank you, Clive.

BarbaraPA · Answer

Or, if you are a little snide, you can say "My ex-husband's current wife." That carries an implication that perhaps that marriage won't last either.

(Darn, Clive took my "bigamist" line.)

Anonymous · Answer

or 'my ex-husband's latest wife' suggesting that she is just the most recent in a long line (and soon to go)

nona (still trapped out here......help).

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