Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

hypergamy

/haɪˈpɚɡəmi/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.46 in modern English

Syllables: hy-per-gamy
IPA: /haɪˈpɚɡəmi/

23

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Act or practice of seeking a spouse of higher socioeconomic status or caste status than oneself.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"From 1940 to the mid-1970s, the tendency for men to marry down educationally became more pronounced and the cultural ideal of hypergamy — that women must marry up — became more insistent."
"A lawsuit against David Geffen mentions a website where hypergamy — dating above your station — is celebrated. But the word carries darker intonations."

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úp Proto-Indo-European *-er Proto-Indo-European *upér Proto-Hellenic *hupér Ancient Greek ῠ̔πέρ (hŭpér) Ancient Greek ῠ̔περ- (hŭper-)der. English hyper- Proto-Indo-European *ǵem-der. Ancient Greek γᾰ́μος (gắmos) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) Ancient Greek -γαμία (-gamía)bor. English -gamy English hypergamy From hyper- + -gamy.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /haɪˈpɚɡəmi/

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

hypergamies (plural)

Frequently Paired Words

hypergamic hypergamical hypergamically hypergamist hypergamous hypergamously hypergyny monogamy

Synonyms

marry up

Antonyms

hypogamy

Questions

How do you pronounce hypergamy?: The recorded pronunciation is /haɪˈpɚɡəmi/.
What does hypergamy mean?: Act or practice of seeking a spouse of higher socioeconomic status or caste status than oneself.
Where does hypergamy come from?: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úp Proto-Indo-European *-er Proto-Indo-European *upér Proto-Hellenic *hupér Ancient Greek ῠ̔πέρ (hŭpér) Ancient Greek ῠ̔περ- (hŭper-)der. English hyper- Proto-Indo-European *ǵem-der. Ancient Greek γᾰ́μος (gắmos) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) Ancient Greek -γαμία (-gamía)bor. English -gamy English hypergamy From hyper- + -gamy.

How to pronounce hypergamy

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “hypergamy”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/haɪˈpɚɡəmi/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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