Where does “mademoiselle” come from?
mademoiselle (French) comes from French demoiselle, from Old French damoisele, from Vulgar Latin domnicella, from Latin domina, from Latin Dominus, from Latin domus, from Proto-Italic domos, from Proto-Indo-European dṓm — to build; to arrange, to put together.
mademoiselle (French): Miss
Definitions
- Miss
Ancestry of “mademoiselle”, step by step
mademoiselle traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French demoiselle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | demoiselle | damsel, maiden; miss; damselfly |
| 2 | Old French | damoisele | girl; young lady |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | domnicella | weasel; little maiden; damsel, maiden |
| 4 | Latin | domina | lady or mistress of the house |
| 5 | Latin | Dominus | the Lord; Lord; The Lord |
| 6 | Latin | domus | house, home; any building or abode; native place,... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | domos | house, home |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dṓm | home; house |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dem- | to build; to arrange, to put together |