Where does “houswyf” come from?

houswyf (Middle English) comes from Middle English hous, from Old English hūs, from Proto-West Germanic hūs, from Proto-Germanic hūsą, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kewH- — to cover, bedeck; cover.

houswyf (Middle English): A housewife stay-at-home wife

Definitions

  1. A housewife stay-at-home wife

Ancestry of “houswyf”, step by step

houswyf traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English hous

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishhoushouse, residence; house of worship, temple;...
2Old Englishhūsdwelling, shelter, house; house
3Proto-West Germanichūshouse
4Proto-Germanichūsąhouse
5Proto-Indo-European(s)kewH-to cover, bedeck; cover

via Middle English wyf

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishwyfAlternative form of wif
2Old Englishwīfwife; woman, female, lady, wife; female
3Proto-West Germanicwībwoman; wife
4Proto-Germanicwībąwoman; wife
5Proto-Indo-Europeangʰwíh₂bʰ-shame, pudenda

Words derived from “houswyf”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kewH- →Every word from Proto-Germanic hūsą →Every word from Proto-West Germanic hūs →