English
mistress
Mistress comes from Old French maistresse, from maistre ‘master’, and ultimately from Proto-Italic *magisteros ‘bigger, greater’.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*magisteros‘bigger, greater’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmagister
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400maistre‘master’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400maistressefeminine of maistre
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1613mistress
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*magisteros‘bigger, greater’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmagister
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400maistre‘master’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400maistressefeminine of maistre
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1613mistress
Earliest quotation: c. 1613, Thomas Middleton, Wit at Several Weapons. A Comedy.: “Faith, keep a bachelor still, and go to bowls,…”
Equivalent to mister + -ess
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *meh₂- ‘good, great’
most, mo, mature, maturity, mat, maturation, maduro, matinee, demure, matin, mañana, 20 more
through Proto-Italic *magisteros ‘bigger, greater’
through Latin magister
master, magistrate, maestro, meister, magisterial, magister, 7 more
through Old French maistre ‘master’
Today it means
noun A woman, specifically one with great control, authority or ownership.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *magisteros / mistress