woman
UK: ˈwʊmən | US: ˈwʊmən
n. an adult human female
n. (collectively) women as a group
n. (archaic) a female servant or attendant
woman = wo<wife> + man<human>
- wo<wife>: Derived from Old English wīf (woman, wife), originally meaning "female" without marital connotation.
- man<human>: From Old English mann (person, human), later gendered to mean "male human."
Etymology Origin:
The word "woman" evolved from Old English wīfmann ("female human"), combining wīf (female) + mann (human). Over time, wīf narrowed to mean "wife," while mann shifted to primarily denote males. The spelling simplified to "woman," preserving the original logic of "female human." This reflects societal shifts in gender language, where the neutral term mann became gendered, requiring a new compound for females.
She is the first woman to lead the organization.
Women have made significant progress in STEM fields.
The novel explores the struggles of a medieval woman.
Respect for all women should be a universal value.
In some cultures, womanhood is celebrated with rituals.