Where does “ladyship” come from?

Ladyship comes from Middle English lady with the suffix -scipe, from Old English hlāf meaning "loaf of bread," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European skab-.

ladyship (English): Term of respect for a woman of the peerage...

Definitions

Term of respect for a woman of the peerage...

Ancestry of “ladyship”, step by step

ladyship traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via English ship

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	English	ship	A water-borne vessel generally larger than a...
2	English	relationship	Connection or association; the condition of being...
3	English	relation	The manner in which two things may be associated;...
4	Middle English	relacion	—
5	Old French	relacion	—
6	Latin	relātiō	carrying or bringing back
7	Latin	referō	to bear, bring, drive, or carry back, off, or away
8	Latin	rĕ-	back, backwards
9	Latin	prōdūcō	to lead or bring forth, forward or out
10	Latin	prō-	forward direction, forward movement
11	Proto-Italic	*pro-	pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings
12	Proto-Indo-European	pro-	toward, forward
13	Proto-Indo-European	por-	to give birth; forward, through; going, passage
14	Proto-Indo-European	per-	before, in front; first; to go through
15	Proto-Indo-European	pr̥tós	passed , crossed

via English lady

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	English	lady	The mistress of a household; A woman of breeding...
2	Middle English	lady	A woman with authority or leadership
3	Old English	hlǣfdīġe	bread-kneader; mistress of a household, wife of a...
4	Old English	hlāf	bread, loaf; bread, loaf, morsel; loaf, cake,...
5	Proto-West Germanic	hlaib	bread, loaf
6	Proto-Germanic	hlaibaz	bread

via Middle English ladyschipe

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Middle English	ladyschipe	The honour, position, or status of a noblewoman

Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →Every word from Proto-Indo-European per- →Every word from Latin rĕ- →