What is the origin of the word "soulmate"?

Answer by  Jenkins (149)

The word is a combination of "soul" (one's spiritual existence) and "mate" (friend, partner, etc). The word was first seen in 1822, but other scholars think that it may have come into being in the mid-1950s, with the rise of the greeting card industry. It is a relatively new word, as you state.

Answer by  Vllad45 (1886)

No, the word is actually very old, or at least a translation of it dates back to the ancient Greeks. It was once thought the original being was both male and female and was split, the other half, one's soul mate, was thought to make one whole by forming a like being during intercourse.