Where does “housewife” come from?
Housewife comes from Middle English housewif, a compound of house and wif meaning woman or wife.
housewife (English): A woman whose main employment is homemaking,...
Definitions
- A woman whose main employment is homemaking,...
Ancestry of “housewife”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | houswyf | A housewife stay-at-home wife |
| 2 | Middle English | hous | house, residence; house of worship, temple;... |
| 3 | Old English | hūs | dwelling, shelter, house; house |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | hūs | house |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hūsą | house |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kewH- | to cover, bedeck; cover |
Words derived from “housewife”