spinster English · revision 76
5 Oct 2026, 20:16 by bogdan “Etymologies from AHD, Etymonline, MW, OED, RHWU, Wiktionary” current version
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+ ==Etymology==
+ From [[enm|spinnestere|t=female spinner of thread]] (late 14th century),^(AHD)^(Etymonline) formed [[af|en|spin|-ster]].^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)^(RHWU)
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+ Because unmarried women were expected to occupy themselves with spinning, from the 1600s the word became the legal designation in England of unmarried women,^(Etymonline)^(Wiktionary) and by 1719 was used generically of a woman still unmarried beyond the usual age.^(Etymonline) Compare Middle Dutch and Dutch ''spinster''.^(OED 1989)
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+ ==References==
+ {{reflist}}