Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bowerwoman” come from?

bowerwoman (English) comes from English bower, from German bauer, from German bauen, from Middle High German būwen, from Old High German būan, from Proto-West Germanic *būan, from Proto-Germanic būaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH- — to become, grow, appear.

bowerwoman (English): A female servant who waits upon a lady in her...

Definitions

  1. A female servant who waits upon a lady in her...

Ancestry of “bowerwoman”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbowerA bedroom or private apartments, especially for a...
2Germanbauer—
3Germanbauento build; to construct; to roll a joint; to rely
4Middle High Germanbūwen—
5Old High Germanbūan—
6Proto-West Germanic*būan—
7Proto-Germanicbūanąto dwell, reside
8Proto-Indo-EuropeanbʰuH-to become, grow, appear
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH- →