Where does “women” come from?

women (English) comes from Middle English wimmen, from Old English wīfmenn, from Old English wīf, from Proto-West Germanic wīb, from Proto-Germanic wībą, from Proto-Indo-European gʰwíh₂bʰ- — shame, pudenda.

women (English): plural of woman; Misspelling of woman

Definitions

  1. plural of woman; Misspelling of woman

Ancestry of “women”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwimmen—
2Old Englishwīfmennwomen
3Old Englishwīfwife; woman, female, lady, wife; female
4Proto-West Germanicwībwoman; wife
5Proto-Germanicwībąwoman; wife
6Proto-Indo-Europeangʰwíh₂bʰ-shame, pudenda

Words derived from “women”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰwíh₂bʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic wībą →Every word from Proto-West Germanic wīb →