Neuter

From Middle Dutch wijf, from Old Dutch wīf, from Proto-West Germanic *wīb, from Proto-Germanic *wībą. While initially a neutral term for "woman", the word gradually acquired negative connotations in some dialects from the late 16th century onwards, developing over the centuries to the current situation in which it is generally regarded as a derogatory term in standard Dutch (although in some dialects the word remains fairly neutral). As a neutral descriptor for a woman, the void left by the wijf was filled by vrouw, which in the Early Modern period similarly developed to this neutral meaning; previously, in Middle Dutch, it had had positive connotations and referred specifically to a well-off or noble woman. Similarly, dame filled the void left by vrouw as a descriptor for an aristocratic woman.