Where does “headmistressly” come from?
headmistressly (English) comes from English headmistress, from English Mistress, from Middle English maistresse, from Old French maistresse, from Old French maistre, from Latin magister, from Proto-Italic magisteros, from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂isteros — big, great.
headmistressly (English): Befitting a headmistress
Definitions
- Befitting a headmistress
Ancestry of “headmistressly”, step by step
headmistressly traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English headmistress
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | headmistress | A female school principal |
| 2 | English | Mistress | Used as the title of a married woman before her... |
| 3 | Middle English | maistresse | mistress |
| 4 | Old French | maistresse | — |
| 5 | Old French | maistre | master; Master; magister |
| 6 | Latin | magister | teacher; master; a title of the Middle Ages,... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | magisteros | bigger, greater |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | méǵh₂isteros | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | méǵh₂s | big, great |