Where does “spaewife” come from?

spaewife (English) comes from Scots spaewife, from Scots wife, from Middle English wyf, from Old English wīf, from Proto-West Germanic wīb, from Proto-Germanic wībą, from Proto-Indo-European gʰwíh₂bʰ- — shame, pudenda.

spaewife (English): female fortuneteller

Definitions

  1. female fortuneteller

Ancestry of “spaewife”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Scotsspaewifefemale fortuneteller
2Scotswifewoman; wife
3Middle EnglishwyfAlternative form of wif
4Old Englishwīfwife; woman, female, lady, wife; female
5Proto-West Germanicwībwoman; wife
6Proto-Germanicwībąwoman; wife
7Proto-Indo-Europeangʰwíh₂bʰ-shame, pudenda
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰwíh₂bʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic wībą →Every word from Proto-West Germanic wīb →
spaewife — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer