Where does “guidwife” come from?
guidwife (Scots) comes from Scots guid, from Middle English gude, from Old English gōd, from Proto-West Germanic gōd, from Proto-Germanic gudą, from Proto-Germanic gastiz, from Proto-Indo-European gʰóstis, from Proto-Indo-European -tis — Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots.
guidwife (Scots): wife
Definitions
- wife
Ancestry of “guidwife”, step by step
guidwife traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Scots guid
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scots | guid | good; of good social standing, respectable; good,... |
| 2 | Middle English | gude | — |
| 3 | Old English | gōd | a good thing, advantage, benefit, gift; good,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | gōd | good |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | gudą | invoked one; god, deity |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | gastiz | stranger, guest |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰóstis | stranger, host |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -tis | Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots |