Where does “spinsterhood” come from?
spinsterhood (English) comes from English spinster, from Middle English spynnestere, from Middle English spinnen, from Old English spinnan, from Proto-Germanic spinnaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)pénh₁-ne-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)penh₁- — to twist; to weave.
spinsterhood (English): The condition of being a spinster; The time...
Definitions
- The condition of being a spinster; The time...
Ancestry of “spinsterhood”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | spinster | A woman who has never been married, especially... |
| 2 | Middle English | spynnestere | A spinner; a person normally a woman who spins fibre as a job |
| 3 | Middle English | spinnen | To spin or convert fibre into yarn; To make... |
| 4 | Old English | spinnan | to spin |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | spinnaną | to spin |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)pénh₁-ne- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)penh₁- | to twist; to weave |