Where does “parlourmaid” come from?
parlourmaid (English) comes from English parlour, from Old French parleor, from Old French parler, from Latin parabolō, from Latin parabola, from Ancient Greek παραβολή, from Ancient Greek παραβάλλω, from Ancient Greek πᾰρᾰ- — horse.
parlourmaid (English): A maid who takes care of the parlour
Definitions
- A maid who takes care of the parlour
Ancestry of “parlourmaid”, step by step
parlourmaid traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English parlour
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | parlour | Britain standard spelling of parlor |
| 2 | Old French | parleor | — |
| 3 | Old French | parler | to speak; to talk |
| 4 | Latin | parabolō | to make clear by metaphors |
| 5 | Latin | parabola | A comparison, illustration, likeness; An... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | παραβολή | a placing of two things side by side,... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | παραβάλλω | to compare; to set side by side; I set side by... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | πᾰρᾰ- | near; next to; by, near |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | παρά | |
| 10 | Latin | verēdus | A fast or light breed of horse; courier's horse; hunter |
| 11 | Gaulish | werēdos | horse |
| 12 | Proto-Celtic | *uɸoreidos | horse |
via English maid
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | maid | A girl or an unmarried young woman; maiden; A... |
| 2 | Middle English | mayde | young woman |
| 3 | English | maiden | A girl or an unmarried young woman; A female... |
| 4 | Middle English | mayden | maiden |
| 5 | Old English | mægden | girl; virgin, young unmarried woman |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | magadīn | little girl |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | -īn | Creates adjectives from nouns with the sense... |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |