Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “womanly” come from?

womanly (Middle English) comes from Middle English wommanly, from Middle English womman, from Old English wīfmann, from Old English mann, from Proto-West Germanic mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann-, from Proto-Indo-European men- — to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,...

womanly (Middle English): Alternative form of wommanly

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of wommanly

Ancestry of “womanly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishwommanlyResembling or characteristic of a woman;...
2Middle EnglishwommanAn female adult person; a woman; The female sex...
3Old Englishwīfmannwoman; female servant; woman
4Old Englishmannperson; man meaning mankind; man meaning adult...
5Proto-West Germanicmannperson, human
6Proto-Germanic*mann-—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmen-to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,...

Words derived from “womanly”

  • womanly
  • womanliness
  • unwomanly
  • unwomanliness
  • womonly
  • womynly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European men- →