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Where does the word "lady" come from? It comes from Old English hlǣfdīge, and was adopted directly into English (1500s).
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Where does the word "lady" come from? It comes from Old English hlǣfdīge, and was adopted directly into English (1500s).
Lady’s story begins in Old English: hlǣfdīge meant “mistress of a household.” 'hlāf', loaf, plus a root meaning to knead, as in 'dough': the woman who made the household's bread. It reached English by 1500s as lady. The 'ladybird' is named after Our Lady, the Virgin Mary. Today, lady means a woman of high social rank; a polite word for a woman.
- Stage 1 · Old English · 700s-1000s hlǣfdīge "mistress of a household", 'hlāf', loaf, plus a root meaning to knead, as in 'dough': the woman who made the household's bread.
- Stage 2 · English · 1500s lady "woman of rank", the 'ladybird' is named after Our Lady, the Virgin Mary.