Where does “wīf” come from?
wīf (Old Saxon) comes from Proto-Germanic *wīb, from Proto-Germanic wībą, from Proto-Indo-European gʰwíh₂bʰ- — shame, pudenda.
Ancestry of “wīf”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Germanic | *wīb | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | wībą | woman; wife |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰwíh₂bʰ- | shame, pudenda |