Where does “middlewoman” come from?

middlewoman (English) comes from English middle, from Middle English myddel, from Old English middel, from Proto-West Germanic *midl, from Proto-Germanic midlą, from Proto-Germanic midjō, from Proto-Indo-European médʰyos, from Proto-Indo-European medʰi- — in the middle of, near, by, around, with.

middlewoman (English): The female equivalent of a middleman; a female...

Definitions

  1. The female equivalent of a middleman; a female...

Ancestry of “middlewoman”, step by step

middlewoman traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English middle

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmiddleA centre, midpoint; The part between the...
2Middle EnglishmyddelThe middle or centre of something
3Old Englishmiddelmiddle
4Proto-West Germanic*midl
5Proto-Germanicmidląmiddle
6Proto-Germanicmidjōmiddle, midst
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmédʰyosmiddle
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmedʰi-with, among; with, along
9Proto-Indo-Europeanmein the middle of, near, by, around, with

via English woman

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwomanAn adult female human; All female humans...
2Middle EnglishwommanAn female adult person; a woman; The female sex...
3Old Englishwīfmannwoman; female servant; woman
4Old Englishmannperson; man meaning mankind; man meaning adult...
5Proto-West Germanicmannperson, human
6Proto-Germanic*mann-
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmen-to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European meEvery word from Proto-Indo-European medʰi-Every word from Proto-Indo-European médʰyos