Etymology Map
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Wench

3 stages from Old English to English.

Today it means (archaic or humorous) a girl or young woman

Where does the word "wench" come from? It comes from Old English wencel, passing through Middle English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
wencel
Old English · medieval
"child"
'child', of either sex, perhaps from wancol 'unsteady, fickle', as of a toddler
2
Stage 2 of 3
wenche
Middle English · 1300s
"girl; servant girl"
a girl or young woman, especially a servant; Chaucer uses it for a serving girl
3
Stage 3 of 3
wench
English · 1500s
"girl (archaic); wanton woman"
gained the sense of a wanton woman, now archaic or jocular
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Read the full story

Wench’s story begins in Old English: wencel meant “child.” 'child', of either sex, perhaps from wancol 'unsteady, fickle', as of a toddler. By 1300s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as wenche. A girl or young woman, especially a servant; Chaucer uses it for a serving girl. It reached English by 1500s as wench. Gained the sense of a wanton woman, now archaic or jocular. Today, wench means (archaic or humorous) a girl or young woman.