Where does “spinster” come from?
Spinster derives from Middle English spynnester, from Middle English spinnen and Old English -estre, ultimately from Proto-Germanic spinnaną and Proto-Indo-European (s)penh₁- meaning to spin or stretch.
spinster (English): A woman who has never been married, especially...
Definitions
- A woman who has never been married, especially...
Ancestry of “spinster”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | spynnestere | A spinner; a person normally a woman who spins fibre as a job |
| 2 | Middle English | spinnen | To spin or convert fibre into yarn; To make... |
| 3 | Old English | spinnan | to spin |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | spinnaną | to spin |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)pénh₁-ne- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)penh₁- | to twist; to weave |