wifely

Meaning

Of, befitting, pertaining to, or characteristic of a wife.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈwaɪfli/

Etymology

From Middle English wyfly, wifly, from Old English wīflīc (“womanly, wifely”), from Proto-Germanic *wībalīkaz (“wifely”), equivalent to wife + -ly. Cognate with Scots wifely (“womanly, wifely”), Dutch wijflijk, wijfelijk, German weiblich (“feminine, female”).