wife English · revision 2534

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|formation=inherited|attested=c. 725 (Old English wīf)|origins=gem-pro *wībą}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /waɪf/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|wif]], [[inh|ang|wīf|t=woman; wife]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002) from [[gem-pro|*wībą]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) a word of uncertain origin and disputed etymology,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(SOED 2002) not found in Gothic.^(Etymonline) Its cognates include [[ofs|wīf]], [[osx|wīf]], [[nl|wijf]], [[de|Weib|t=woman]] and [[non|víf]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002) Klein and Merriam-Webster connect it with [[non|veipr|t=head covering]], as if it meant “the veiled one”,^(Klein 1966)^(MWU 2024) and Merriam-Webster's Collegiate compares [[txb|kwīpe]].^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ A woman, in the general sense: Old English ''wīf'', about 725.^(OED 1989) A woman joined to a man by marriage is from about 888.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Etymonline notes that the sense “female partner in a sanctioned union” arose in late Old English.^(Etymonline) The general sense “woman” survives in ''fishwife'', ''midwife'' and ''old wives' tale'',^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(Cresswell 2021) and in Scotland, where ''wife'' is still used of a middle-aged or elderly woman.^(SOED 2002)^(Cresswell 2021) In Middle English it also meant the mistress of a household, a sense surviving in ''goodwife'' and ''housewife''.^(Hoad 1986) Trench saw it as one of many words, like Greek ''gynḗ'' and German ''Weib'', that meant first “woman” and later “wife”.^(Trench 1859) The verb “to take a wife” is from 1387, rare beside ''wive''.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) ''All the world and his wife'', “everyone”, is first recorded in 1730.^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 725 – Old English ''wīf'', a woman.^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 888 – a married woman.^(OED 1989)

+ * 14th century – mistress of a household.^(Hoad 1986)

+ * 1387 – verb, to marry.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1730 – ''all the world and his wife''.^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A woman joined to a man in [[marriage]]; a female [[spouse]].^(AHD)^(SOED 2002)

+ # ''(archaic, Scotland)'' A woman, especially a middle-aged or elderly one.^(SOED 2002)^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[wifehood]]

+ * [[wifeless]]

+ * [[wifedom]]

+ * [[wifelessness]]

+ * [[farmwife]]

+ * [[wifelike]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[wive]]

+ * [[woman]]

+ * [[midwife]]

+ * [[housewife]]

+ * [[fishwife]]

+ * [[husband]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}