Where does “womanservant” come from?
womanservant (English) comes from English servant, from Middle English servaunt, from Old French servant, from Old French servir, from Latin serviō, from Latin servus, from Proto-Italic serwos, from Proto-Indo-European ser-wo-s — to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together.
womanservant (English): A woman who is a servant; the female counterpart...
Definitions
- A woman who is a servant; the female counterpart...
Ancestry of “womanservant”, step by step
womanservant traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English servant
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | servant | One who is hired to perform regular household or... |
| 2 | Middle English | servaunt | A labourer or employee; one who works for another |
| 3 | Old French | servant | present participle of servir; that serves; that... |
| 4 | Old French | servir | to serve |
| 5 | Latin | serviō | to be a slave to; to serve |
| 6 | Latin | servus | a servant; a serf; a slave |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | serwos | guardian |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ser-wo-s | guardian |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ser- | to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together |
via English woman
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | woman | An adult female human; All female humans... |
| 2 | Middle English | womman | An female adult person; a woman; The female sex... |
| 3 | Old English | wīfmann | woman; female servant; woman |
| 4 | Old English | mann | person; man meaning mankind; man meaning adult... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | mann | person, human |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *mann- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | men- | to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,... |