Where does “wifehood” come from?
Wifehood comes from Middle English wifhode, from Old English wīfhād, a compound of wīf (woman) and hād (state or condition).
wifehood (English): The quality or state of being a wife; The...
Definitions
- The quality or state of being a wife; The...
Ancestry of “wifehood”, step by step
wifehood traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English wife
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wife | A married woman, especially in relation to her... |
| 2 | Middle English | wyf | Alternative form of wif |
| 3 | Old English | wīf | wife; woman, female, lady, wife; female |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | wīb | woman; wife |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wībą | woman; wife |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰwíh₂bʰ- | shame, pudenda |