Where does “house frau” come from?
house frau (English) comes from German Hausfrau, from German frau, from Middle High German vrouwe, from Old High German frouwa, from Proto-West Germanic *frauwjā, from Proto-Germanic frawjǭ, from Proto-Indo-European proHwo-, from Proto-Indo-European per- — passed , crossed.
house frau (English): A housewife
Ancestry of “house frau”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Hausfrau | housewife |
| 2 | German | frau | one, they |
| 3 | Middle High German | vrouwe | — |
| 4 | Old High German | frouwa | lady |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *frauwjā | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | frawjǭ | lady, wife of a lord |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | proHwo- | master, judge; right judge, master |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |