damsel
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Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈdæm.zəl/[1]
Etymology
It is inherited from Middle English damisele,[2][3][4] from Anglo-Norman dameisele and Old French damoiselle,[2][5][3][6] from Vulgar Latin *dominicella (“young noblewoman”),[2][5][6][4] a diminutive of Latin domina (“lady”).[2][5][3][6][4] The French word was modified by association with dame from earlier donsele.[3] It is related to dame.[2][5][3]
Earliest recorded meaning
A maid in waiting (1199), and a young unmarried lady of noble or gentle birth (1292).[7][3]
Semantic evolution
The word was gradually extended as a respectful term for young unmarried women of any rank,[7] and from about 1380 it could mean any girl or maiden.[7] It became archaic until the romantic poets revived it,[3] along with the variant damozel used by Spenser.[3][6]
Timeline
- 1199 – a maid in waiting.[7]
- 1292 – a young lady of gentle birth.[7][3]
- about 1380 – any young unmarried woman.[7]
- 1815 – damselfly.[3]
Modern meaning
Noun
- (archaic or literary) A young unmarried woman, originally one of noble birth; a maiden.
Word family
- damselfish
- damselfly
Related words
- dame
- mademoiselle
- dominion
References
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c d e The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
- ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
- ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
- ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press