Etymologically
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girlfriend

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 15 October 2026 at 20:39. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: UK /ˈɡɜːl.frend/, US /ˈɡɝːl.frend/[1]

Etymology

It is a compound from English girl + friend, also written girl-friend.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

A woman's female friend in youth: by 1859.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

As a man's sweetheart it is from 1922.[2] She-friend was used in the 17th century in the same senses, of a man's mistress and of a woman's close friend.[2]

Timeline

  • 1859 – a woman's female friend.[2][3]
  • 1922 – a man's sweetheart.[2]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A regular female companion in a romantic or sexual relationship; a sweetheart.
  2. A female friend.

References

  1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster