Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “washerwoman” come from?

Washerwoman comes from English woman, from Middle English woman, from Middle English wifman, from Old English wiman.

washerwoman (English): A woman who washes people's laundry; Double...

Definitions

  1. A woman who washes people's laundry; Double...

Ancestry of “washerwoman”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwasherSomething that washes; especially an appliance...
2English-erA person or thing that does an action indicated...
3Middle English-eragentive suffix; agent noun suffix
4Old French-erAlternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;...
5Latin-āre—
6Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
7Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
8Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-—
10Chichewaiyehe, she

Words derived from “washerwoman”

  • washerwomanly
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