Where does “laundress” come from?
Laundress comes from English launderer, which derives from English launder, which derives from Chinese 兒, which derives from Latin -issa, which derives from Latin -are, which derives from Latin -arius, which derives from Proto-Indo-European lewh₃-.
laundress (English): Synonym of washerwoman; To act as a laundress
Definitions
- Synonym of washerwoman; To act as a laundress
Ancestry of “laundress”, step by step
laundress traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English launderer
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | launderer | One who engages in the business of laundering |
| 2 | English | -er | A person or thing that does an action indicated... |
| 3 | Middle English | -er | agentive suffix; agent noun suffix |
| 4 | Old French | -er | Alternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;... |
| 5 | Latin | -āre | first conjugation |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | -āō | Forms primarily denominative verbs |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 10 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |