Etymograph

English

maidenhood

Maidenhood comes from Middle English maydenhede ‘Virginity, maidenhood’, from Old English mæġden ‘girl’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mogʰus ‘boy’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mogʰus‘boy’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*maguz‘boy’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*magaþs‘maiden, girl’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*magaþ‘girl’reconstructed
  5. Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*magadīn‘young girl’reconstructed
  6. Old Englishc. 450–1150mæġden‘girl’
  7. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150mæġdenhād
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500maydenhede‘Virginity, maidenhood’
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1485maidenhood

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mogʰus‘boy’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*maguz‘boy’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*magaþs‘maiden, girl’reconstructed
  4. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*magaþ‘girl’reconstructed
  5. Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*magadīn‘young girl’reconstructed
  6. Old Englishc. 450–1150mæġden‘girl’
  7. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150mæġdenhād
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500maydenhede‘Virginity, maidenhood’
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1485maidenhood

Earliest quotation: 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, iij: “Thenne she said my lord sir launcelot I biseche…”

Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *mogʰus

Today it means

noun The condition of being a maiden; the time when one is a maiden or young girl.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mogʰus / maidenhood

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