Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “maidenlike” come from?

maidenlike (English) comes from English maiden, from Middle English mayden, from Old English mægden, from Proto-West Germanic magadīn, from Proto-West Germanic -īn, from Proto-Germanic -īnaz, from Proto-Indo-European -iHnos, from Proto-Indo-European -no- — adjectival suffix.

maidenlike (English): Like a maiden; gentle, demure

Definitions

  1. Like a maiden; gentle, demure

Ancestry of “maidenlike”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmaidenA girl or an unmarried young woman; A female...
2Middle Englishmayden—
3Old Englishmægdengirl; virgin, young unmarried woman
4Proto-West Germanicmagadīnlittle girl
5Proto-West Germanic-īnCreates adjectives from nouns with the sense...
6Proto-Germanic-īnaz-en
7Proto-Indo-European-iHnosCreates adjectives of materials
8Proto-Indo-European-no-adjectival suffix

Words derived from “maidenlike”

  • unmaidenlike
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -no- →