zenana

ze•na•na (zuh-NAH-nuh)  n
also zanana

Definition:
1.a part of the house reserved for women and girls; a system of segregating women into harems, in Asian countries such as India and Pakistan, esp in Muslim and Hindu homes
2. its occupants collectively
3. an effeminate or crossdressing male in northern India or Pakistan

The Zenana are the inner apartments of a house in which the women of the family live. The outer apartments for guests and men is called the Mardana.

Origin:
1760; from Hindi  from Persian zanana,  "female, pertaining to women", adj. derivative of zan  "woman"

Related:
Synonyms: purdah, seraglio, serai, serail, harem

Sentence Examples:
• Then for the first time she is allowed to help herself to the faculties and senses usually monopolised by the Conscious Self. But like the timid and submissive inmate of the zenana suddenly delivered from the thraldom of her life-long partner, she immediately falls under the control of another. The Conscious Personality of another person exercises over her the same supreme authority that her own Conscious Personality did formerly. - Real Ghost Stories, William T. Stead

• It is a patent fact that the Indian woman, secluded as she is within the four walls of the zenana, cannot fully benefit by any system of medicine; and it was not till the generous efforts of Lady Dufferin were turned in this direction that the wives and daughters of the richest and most enlightened Indians enjoyed a better position than the lowest and meanest of their fellows. - Clara A. Swain, M.D., Mrs. Robert Hoskins

• Well, when Uncle used to come I slept in the "Baithak" and my wife slept somewhere in the zenana, I never inquired where. -Indian Ghost Stories, by S. Mukerji

Sources: Wiktionary, Free Dictionary, Dictionary.com

Word-E: A Word-A-Day

maritorious

ma•ri•tor•i•ous (ma-ri-TOR-ee-uhs)  adj

Definition:
excessively fond of one's husband



Origin:
from Latin maritus "married man, husband"

Related:
uxorious: excessively fond of one's wife
Synonyms: none
Related Words: marry, marital

Sentence Examples:
• There once was a man most uxorious,
Who was married to a dame quite maritorious,
This suited them fine as they wined and they dined,
And produced five offspring all rubicund! -2009

• And wherefore doe you this? To please your husband?
  Tis grosse and fulsome: if your husbands pleasure
  Be all your object, and you ayme at honour
  In living close to him, get you from Court,
  You may have him at home; these common put-ofs
  For common women serve: "my honour! husband!"
  Dames maritorious ne're were meritorious:
  Speak plaine, and say "I doe not like you, sir,
  Y'are an ill-favour'd fellow in my eye,"
  And I am answer'd.
-Bussy D'Ambois and The Revenge of Bussy D'Ambois, George Chapman


The Storyline
Seeing the look in Anna's eyes and then turning around, Anna's father announced, "I'm married again. This is Sara, " thus explaining the maritorious affectation of the woman in Anna's office. At this, Sara thrust out her hand toward Anna - silently and awkwardly.

Why This Word:

This is the partner to uxorious, of a man who is fond of his wife to the point of doting excess. It is much less well known, to the extent that I have had no success in finding a modern example of its use outside the books on words that cite it.
A Google search turned up what looked at first sight like a number of examples, such as the surprising statement from a school that “Medals and prizes are given to maritorious students”. It took a moment to realise that should have been meritorious. As it happens, that’s oddly relevant, since the only example of the word on record is in Bussy D’Ambois, a tragedy by George Chapman of 1607, in which he coins the word to make a bad pun: “Dames maritorious ne’re were meritorious”. 

The word to describe a husband who is excessively fond of a wife is uxorious. The word maritorious is rare, while uxorious is fairly well known. What does that say about the relative fondness of husbands and wives to each other?

Sources: WordSmith, World Wide Words

Word-E: A Word-A-Day