Where does “wīf” come from?

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

wīf (Old English): wife; woman, female, lady, wife; female

Definitions

  1. wife; woman, female, lady, wife; female

Ancestry of “wīf”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicwībwoman; wife
2Proto-Germanicwībąwoman; wife
3Proto-Indo-Europeangʰwíh₂bʰ-shame, pudenda

Words derived from “wīf”

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