An archaic or rare term for dower; the property or money a widow receives from her deceased husband's estate.
From Old French douaire, from Latin dotarium. A variant or related form of dower, appearing in older legal and genealogical documents.
Medieval marriage contracts spent enormous detail on dowage amounts—it was literally a woman's financial security plan in an era when she had almost no other legal rights!
Archaic term for dower—a woman's financial settlement in marriage. Reflects systems where women lacked independent economic power and property ownership.
Limit to historical or literary analysis; in modern contexts, use gender-neutral terms for spousal/family financial arrangements.
["marital property settlement","inheritance settlement"]
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