Where does “damsel” come from?
Damsel comes from Middle English dameisele, from Old French damoisele, from Old French domnizelle, from Latin domina meaning a mistress or lady of a household.
damsel (English): A young woman; A girl; a maiden; A young woman...
Definitions
- A young woman; A girl; a maiden; A young woman...
Ancestry of “damsel”, step by step
damsel traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French demoiselle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | demoiselle | damsel, maiden; miss; damselfly |
| 2 | Old French | damoisele | girl; young lady |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | domnicella | weasel; little maiden; damsel, maiden |
| 4 | Latin | domina | lady or mistress of the house |
| 5 | Latin | Dominus | the Lord; Lord; The Lord |
| 6 | Latin | domus | house, home; any building or abode; native place,... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | domos | house, home |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dṓm | home; house |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dem- | to build; to arrange, to put together |
via Middle English dameisele
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | dameisele | — |