Where does “postwoman” come from?
postwoman (English) comes from English post, from Middle French poste, from Italian posta, from Italian posto, from Latin positus, from Latin pōnō, from Proto-Italic poznō, from Proto-Italic pozinō.
postwoman (English): A female letter carrier, a woman who delivers...
Definitions
- A female letter carrier, a woman who delivers...
Ancestry of “postwoman”, step by step
postwoman traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English post
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | post | A long dowel or plank protruding from the ground;... |
| 2 | Middle French | poste | — |
| 3 | Italian | posta | mail, post; post office; stakes |
| 4 | Italian | posto | place, spot |
| 5 | Latin | positus | placed; ordained |
| 6 | Latin | pōnō | to place; to put; to lay |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | poznō | — |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | pozinō | — |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | sinō | — |
via English woman
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | woman | An adult female human; All female humans... |
| 2 | Middle English | womman | An female adult person; a woman; The female sex... |
| 3 | Old English | wīfmann | woman; female servant; woman |
| 4 | Old English | mann | person; man meaning mankind; man meaning adult... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | mann | person, human |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *mann- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | men- | to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,... |