This came from the Latin uxor, meaning wife. Bad uxorial relations can lead to uxoricide.

6 hours ago, Bill W said:

I wonder, since this word comes from the Latin, if the Romans used this term to point out the good and positive qualities of their wives, or if it was a derogatory term used to point out the lesser qualities, such as a nagging wife.  

It's not a pleasant sounding word. You can see why it migrated into so few languages.

It also has a legal component since it connotes a legally married wife.