Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wifeling” come from?

wifeling (English) comes from English 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.

wifeling (English): A wife; a little wife

Definitions

  1. A wife; a little wife

Ancestry of “wifeling”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwifeA married woman, especially in relation to her...
2Middle EnglishwyfAlternative form of wif
3Old Englishwīfwife; woman, female, lady, wife; female
4Proto-West Germanicwībwoman; wife
5Proto-Germanicwībąwoman; wife
6Proto-Indo-Europeangʰwíh₂bʰ-shame, pudenda
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰwíh₂bʰ- →