Where does “wif” come from?

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

wif (Middle English): woman, female human; wife, female spouse; The...

Definitions

  1. woman, female human; wife, female spouse; The...

Ancestry of “wif”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishwīfwife; woman, female, lady, wife; female
2Proto-West Germanicwībwoman; wife
3Proto-Germanicwībąwoman; wife
4Proto-Indo-Europeangʰwíh₂bʰ-shame, pudenda

Words derived from “wif”

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