Where does “wife” come from?

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

wife (Scots): woman; wife

Definitions

  1. woman; wife

Ancestry of “wife”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishwyfAlternative form of wif
2Old Englishwīfwife; woman, female, lady, wife; female
3Proto-West Germanicwībwoman; wife
4Proto-Germanicwībąwoman; wife
5Proto-Indo-Europeangʰwíh₂bʰ-shame, pudenda

Words derived from “wife”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰwíh₂bʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic wībą →Every word from Proto-West Germanic wīb →
wife — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer