Etymograph

English

damsel

Damsel comes from Old French damoisele ‘girl, young lady’, from Vulgar Latin *domnicella ‘damsel, maiden’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dem- ‘to build (up)’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dem-‘to build (up)’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dṓm‘home’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*domanos‘master’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdominus‘master, owner, possessor, proprietor’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdominicus‘of or belonging to a lord or master’
  6. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*dominicellareconstructed
  7. Vulgar Latin, derivedc. 100–700 CE*domnicella‘damsel, maiden’reconstructed
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400domnizelle
  9. Old French, derivedc. 842–1400damoisele‘girl, young lady’
  10. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500dameisele
  11. Englishearliest quotation 1843damsel

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dem-‘to build (up)’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dṓm‘home’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*domanos‘master’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdominus‘master, owner, possessor, proprietor’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdominicus‘of or belonging to a lord or master’
  6. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*dominicellareconstructed
  7. Vulgar Latin, derivedc. 100–700 CE*domnicella‘damsel, maiden’reconstructed
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400domnizelle
  9. Old French, derivedc. 842–1400damoisele‘girl, young lady’
  10. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500dameisele
  11. Englishearliest quotation 1843damsel

Earliest quotation: 1843, The Magazine of Science: “The spout that conveys the grain from the hopper…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *dem- ‘to build (up)’

timber, despotic, domesticate, toft, teem, 19 more

through Proto-Indo-European *dṓm ‘home’

domestic, domicile, despot, domus, 20 more

through Proto-Italic *domanos ‘master’

domaine, 4 more

through Latin dominus ‘master, owner, possessor, proprietor’

do, don, danger, domain, dan, dominate, donna, domination, dominion, dungeon, dame, domino, dominatrix, dominus, domine, 8 more

Today it means

noun A young woman (of noble birth).

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dem- / damsel

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