Wordwyrt

lady

/ˈleɪdi/LAY-dee
/ˈleɪdi/LAY-dee

Meaningloaf-kneader

Common meaning: a woman of rank

Other meanings: a polite word for any woman

Journey through time

  1. Aryan root · reconstructed√DHIGH‘smear, knead, mould, form’No written record; from Skeat’s list of Aryan roots, no. 168, p. 736 · scan
  2. Old Englishhlǣfdige‘mistress of a household’source
  3. Middle Englishlefdisource
  4. Middle Englishlavedisource
  5. Englishmeaning shiftsmistress of a household → a woman of ranklady‘a woman of rank’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Old English hlāf + -dige ‘loaf + kneader’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry LADY, p. 319 · dictionary scan

Roots

Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app