esposas ....
is it true that esposas in spanish mean ... wives and hand cuffs at the same time ? lol coool coincident if it is true 
6 Answers
I read once that the etymology of both these words is from the Latin word for "to bind". However, this seems not to be true. The etymology for esposa is the Latin sponsus, a spouse or fiancé.
I also was told once that in medieval times the wedding ceremony involved a binding of the hands of the bride, and that was the origin of the dual sense of the word. However I failed to verify this as well.
Either way, there is something revealing about the patriarchy of the medieval society, and the idea that a woman is but a possession, that one cannot help but notice in this dual sense of the word. Let's hope this world view progresses steadily towards being an echo, and not a reality!
Another world view that seems encapsulated in Spanish is that of esperar - to hope is to wait. Very Catholic, no? That your hope lies not in this world but the next, if you only wait.
It means both, though not necessarily at the same time. 
It makes sense in a way. An esposo(a) Somone with whom you are tied (handcuffed?) to.
Esposo y esposa : marido y mujer . Husband and wife. Esposas = handcuffs Distinsto, verdad ?
estoy no esposado y no esposa estoy divorco
how to say then in spanish that ..... I am cuffed to my wife ?
