Where does “wīfmenn” come from?
wīfmenn (Old English) comes from Old English wīf, from Proto-West Germanic wīb, from Proto-Germanic wībą, from Proto-Indo-European gʰwíh₂bʰ- — shame, pudenda.
wīfmenn (Old English): women
Definitions
- women
Ancestry of “wīfmenn”, step by step
wīfmenn traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English wīf
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | wīf | wife; woman, female, lady, wife; female |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | wīb | woman; wife |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wībą | woman; wife |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰwíh₂bʰ- | shame, pudenda |
via Old English menn
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | menn | plural of mann; men, persons, human beings;... |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | manniz | nominative/vocative plural of *mann- |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | mann- | human, human being, person, individual; name of... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | men- | to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,... |