👰‍♀️ wife · English · learnfeliz · Learn new languages for free!

His wife
👰‍♀️

and son had minor injuries .

He
👨

was survived by his wife
👰‍♀️

Grania and four children .

Durand and his wife
👰‍♀️

were art
🎨

collectors .

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/waɪf/

Inherited from Middle English

Inherited from Old English

Cognate with Scots

Cognate with Western Frisian

Cognate with Saterland Frisian

Cognate with Northern Frisian

Cognate with Dutch

Cognate with Low German

Cognate with German

Cognate with Danish

Cognate with Norwegian

Cognate with Swedish

Cognate with Faroese

Cognate with Icelandic

In summary

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *wībą Proto-West Germanic *wīb Old English wīf Middle English wyf English wife Inherited from Middle English wyf, wif, from Old English wīf (“woman, wife”), from Proto-West Germanic *wīb, from Proto-Germanic *wībą (“woman, wife”). Germanic cognates include Scots wife (“wife, woman”), North Frisian wüf (“wife, woman”), Saterland Frisian Wieuw (“woman, lady, female”), West Frisian wiif (“wife, woman”), Cimbrian baip, baibe (“wife, woman”), Dutch wijf (“woman, female”), German Weib (“woman, wife, female”), German Low German Wiev (“woman, female”), Mòcheno baib (“woman”), Vilamovian bow (“wife, woman”), Yiddish ווײַב (vayb, “wife, woman”) Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Swedish viv (“wife, woman”), Faroese vív (“wife, woman”), Icelandic víf (“wife, woman”). The further etymology is unknown, with a number of disputed suggestions. One suggestion connects Tocharian A/B kip/kwīpe (“genitals, female pudenda”), for a hypothetical Indo-European *gʰwíbʰ- (“pudenda”). Another suggestion connects Old English wǣfan (“wrap, clothe”), Old Norse vífa (“wrap, veil”) for a suggested original motive of "married woman wearing a scarf". Yet another suggestion connects Old High German weibōn (“move to and fro”), Old Norse veifa (“swing, throw”), for a motive of "one who is moving busily; housekeeper, maidservant" (cf. German Weibel (“manservant, usher”)).