Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “meiden” come from?

meiden (Middle English) comes from Old English mæġden, from Proto-West Germanic magadīn, from Proto-West Germanic -īn, from Proto-Germanic -īnaz, from Proto-Indo-European -iHnos, from Proto-Indo-European -no- — adjectival suffix.

Ancestry of “meiden”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishmæġdenmaiden, virgin, girl, maid, servant
2Proto-West Germanicmagadīnlittle girl
3Proto-West Germanic-īnCreates adjectives from nouns with the sense...
4Proto-Germanic-īnaz-en
5Proto-Indo-European-iHnosCreates adjectives of materials
6Proto-Indo-European-no-adjectival suffix

Words derived from “meiden”

  • maid
  • maiden
  • housemaid
  • handmaid
  • chambermaid
  • bridesmaid
  • maidservant
  • barmaid
  • handmaiden
  • nursemaid
  • milkmaid
  • maidenhair
  • dairymaid
  • parlourmaid
  • maidenhead
  • kitchenmaid
  • maidish
  • bondmaid
  • parlormaid
  • nurserymaid
  • cookmaid
  • bridemaid
  • maidenlike
  • laundrymaid
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -no- →