Maid
/meɪd/noun
A young unmarried woman or girl; also a female domestic worker in older or formal usage.
Did you know?In Old English, mædēn meant a young woman or virgin, and the modern word maid comes through a long chain of sound change and meaning narrowing, not from any magical or hidden code.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*meh₂-
“To be big, strong, or full-grown (the distant source of words for maturity and greatness in several branches).”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*magathiz
“A girl, maiden, or young woman.”
Old English
English
mægden
“A girl, virgin, or young woman.”
Middle English
English
maide / mayde
“A maiden or young unmarried woman; later also a female servant.”
Modern English
English
maid
“A young unmarried woman; later, a female domestic worker.”