Where does “ex-wife” come from?

ex-wife (English) comes from English wife, from Middle English wyf, from Old English wīf, from Proto-West Germanic wīb, from Proto-Germanic wībą, from Proto-Indo-European gʰwíh₂bʰ- — shame, pudenda.

ex-wife (English): a former wife

Definitions

  1. a former wife

Ancestry of “ex-wife”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwifeA married woman, especially in relation to her...
2Middle EnglishwyfAlternative form of wif
3Old Englishwīfwife; woman, female, lady, wife; female
4Proto-West Germanicwībwoman; wife
5Proto-Germanicwībąwoman; wife
6Proto-Indo-Europeangʰwíh₂bʰ-shame, pudenda
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰwíh₂bʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic wībą →Every word from Proto-West Germanic wīb →