Where does “bridesmaiden” come from?
bridesmaiden (English) comes from English maiden, from Middle English mayden, from Old English mægden, from Proto-West Germanic magadīn, from Proto-West Germanic -īn, from Proto-Germanic -īnaz, from Proto-Indo-European -iHnos, from Proto-Indo-European -no- — adjectival suffix.
bridesmaiden (English): An unmarried bridesmaid
Definitions
- An unmarried bridesmaid
Ancestry of “bridesmaiden”, step by step
bridesmaiden traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English maiden
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | maiden | A girl or an unmarried young woman; A female... |
| 2 | Middle English | mayden | maiden |
| 3 | Old English | mægden | girl; virgin, young unmarried woman |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | magadīn | little girl |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -īn | Creates adjectives from nouns with the sense... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |