English
maidhood
Maidhood comes from Old English mæġeþhād ‘virginity’, from Proto-West Germanic *magaþ ‘girl’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mogʰus ‘boy’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mogʰus‘boy’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*maguz‘boy’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*magaþs‘maiden, girl’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*magaþ‘girl’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150mæġeþ‘virgin’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150mæġeþhād‘virginity’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500maidhod
- Englishearliest quotation 1888maidhood
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mogʰus‘boy’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*maguz‘boy’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*magaþs‘maiden, girl’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*magaþ‘girl’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150mæġeþ‘virgin’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150mæġeþhād‘virginity’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500maidhod
- Englishearliest quotation 1888maidhood
Earliest quotation: 1888, Samuel Rockwell Reed: “Must the coming woman marry to take away the…”
Formed from maid + -hood
Proto-Indo-European *mogʰus ‘boy’
…
Proto-West Germanic *magaþ ‘girl’
Old English mæġden ‘girl’
Middle English maiden
Middle English mayde ‘a maid’
English maid
Linked words
through Old English mæġeþ ‘virgin’
Today it means
noun The state, condition, or quality of a maid; maidenhood; virginity.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mogʰus / maidhood