See wyf in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
{
"antonyms": [
{
"english": "with respect to gender",
"translation": "with respect to gender",
"word": "wer"
}
],
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "0 0 0 0 0",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "enm",
"name": "Family",
"orig": "enm:Family",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"descendants": [
{
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"word": "wife"
},
{
"lang": "Scots",
"lang_code": "sco",
"word": "wife"
}
],
"etymology_links": [
[
"wīf",
"wif#Old_English"
],
[
"*wīb",
"Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/wīb"
],
[
"*wībą",
"Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/wībą"
]
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": ":inh",
"3": "ang:wīf<id:woman>",
"id": "woman"
},
"expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*wīb\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"wīf\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"wyf\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" }\" data-id=\"woman\" data-lang=\"enm\" data-title=\"wyf\" id=\"Middle_English:_woman\">",
"name": "etymon"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "ang",
"3": "wīf"
},
"expansion": "Old English wīf",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "gmw-pro",
"3": "*wīb"
},
"expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *wīb",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "gem-pro",
"3": "*wībą"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Germanic *wībą",
"name": "inh"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Old English wīf, from Proto-West Germanic *wīb, from Proto-Germanic *wībą, of uncertain origin.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "wyfes",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "wyves",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "wyve",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "no-table-tags",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"table-tags"
]
},
{
"form": "wyf",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"error-unrecognized-form",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "wyfes",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"error-unrecognized-form",
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "wyves",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"error-unrecognized-form",
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "wyve",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"error-unrecognized-form",
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "wyfes",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"genitive",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "wyves",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"genitive",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "wyve",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"genitive",
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "wyvene",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"genitive",
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "wyfe",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"dative",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "wyve",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"dative",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "wyven",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"dative",
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "wife",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "wif",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "wiff",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "wiffe",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "wijf",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "wive",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "wyfe",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "wyff",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "wyve",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "noun",
"g": "",
"g2": "",
"g3": "",
"head": "",
"sort": "",
"var": ""
},
"expansion": "wyf",
"name": "head"
},
{
"args": {
"pl": "wyfes",
"pl2": "wyves",
"pl3": "wyve"
},
"expansion": "wyf (plural wyfes or wyves or wyve)",
"name": "enm-noun"
}
],
"lang": "Middle English",
"lang_code": "enm",
"pos": "noun",
"related": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "wyfles"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
"word": "wyfly"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "31 29 2 25 13",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "enm",
"name": "Female people",
"orig": "enm:Female people",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"woman, female human"
],
"id": "en-wyf-enm-noun-jgtT1hP5",
"links": [
[
"woman",
"woman"
],
[
"female",
"female"
],
[
"human",
"human"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "31 29 2 25 13",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "enm",
"name": "Female people",
"orig": "enm:Female people",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "ca. 1380: It cam in cuppemele — this craft my wif used! — William Langland, Piers Plowman"
},
{
"english": "(please add an English translation of this quotation)",
"text": "ca. 1380, — Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, The Merchant's Tale\nThat in a morwe unto this May saith he\nRys up, my wif, my love, my lady fre",
"translation": "(please add an English translation of this quotation)",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
226,
229
]
],
"ref": "1474, Caxton, Game and Playe of the Chesse:",
"text": "In lyke wyse as democreon the philosophre put out his owen eyen be cause he wold not see that no good myght come to the euyll and vicyous peple wyth out right And also defortes the philosophre as he went toward his deth / his wyf that folowed after hym saide that he was dampned to deth wrongfully / than he answerd and sayd to her / holde thy peas and be styll / hit is better and more merytorye to dye by a wronge and unrightfull Jugement / than that I had deseruyd to dye.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"wife, female spouse"
],
"id": "en-wyf-enm-noun-B~i2WvG7",
"links": [
[
"wife",
"wife"
],
[
"female",
"female"
],
[
"spouse",
"spouse"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "5 15 60 17 5",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Middle English entries with etymon",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "3 12 67 15 4",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "5 15 55 21 5",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Middle English links with redundant alt parameters",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "5 15 58 17 5",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Middle English links with redundant wikilinks",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "4 10 70 12 4",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 4 entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "2 6 82 7 2",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "4 13 65 14 4",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with etymon",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "2 4 84 6 3",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "enm",
"name": "Household",
"orig": "enm:Household",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "0 0 100 0 0",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "enm",
"name": "Marriage",
"orig": "enm:Marriage",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"The leading woman of a household; a matriarch."
],
"id": "en-wyf-enm-noun-Es5EYUPq",
"links": [
[
"matriarch",
"matriarch"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "31 29 2 25 13",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "enm",
"name": "Female people",
"orig": "enm:Female people",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A female animal, especially one mating."
],
"id": "en-wyf-enm-noun-c7NGyal9"
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "31 29 2 25 13",
"kind": "other",
"langcode": "enm",
"name": "Female people",
"orig": "enm:Female people",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A concubine."
],
"id": "en-wyf-enm-noun-JHMRDIXs",
"links": [
[
"concubine",
"concubine"
]
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/wiːf/"
},
{
"rhymes": "-iːf"
}
],
"word": "wyf"
}
{
"antonyms": [
{
"english": "with respect to gender",
"translation": "with respect to gender",
"word": "wer"
}
],
"categories": [
"Middle English entries with etymon",
"Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
"Middle English lemmas",
"Middle English links with redundant alt parameters",
"Middle English links with redundant wikilinks",
"Middle English nouns",
"Middle English terms derived from Old English",
"Middle English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
"Middle English terms derived from Proto-West Germanic",
"Middle English terms inherited from Old English",
"Middle English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic",
"Middle English terms inherited from Proto-West Germanic",
"Middle English terms with quotations",
"Pages with 4 entries",
"Pages with entries",
"Pages with etymon",
"Rhymes:Middle English/iːf",
"Rhymes:Middle English/iːf/1 syllable",
"enm:Family",
"enm:Female people",
"enm:Household",
"enm:Marriage"
],
"descendants": [
{
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"word": "wife"
},
{
"lang": "Scots",
"lang_code": "sco",
"word": "wife"
}
],
"etymology_links": [
[
"wīf",
"wif#Old_English"
],
[
"*wīb",
"Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/wīb"
],
[
"*wībą",
"Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/wībą"
]
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": ":inh",
"3": "ang:wīf<id:woman>",
"id": "woman"
},
"expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*wīb\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"wīf\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"wyf\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" }\" data-id=\"woman\" data-lang=\"enm\" data-title=\"wyf\" id=\"Middle_English:_woman\">",
"name": "etymon"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "ang",
"3": "wīf"
},
"expansion": "Old English wīf",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "gmw-pro",
"3": "*wīb"
},
"expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *wīb",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "gem-pro",
"3": "*wībą"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Germanic *wībą",
"name": "inh"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Old English wīf, from Proto-West Germanic *wīb, from Proto-Germanic *wībą, of uncertain origin.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "wyfes",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "wyves",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "wyve",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "no-table-tags",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"table-tags"
]
},
{
"form": "wyf",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"error-unrecognized-form",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "wyfes",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"error-unrecognized-form",
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "wyves",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"error-unrecognized-form",
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "wyve",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"error-unrecognized-form",
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "wyfes",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"genitive",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "wyves",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"genitive",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "wyve",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"genitive",
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "wyvene",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"genitive",
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "wyfe",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"dative",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "wyve",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"dative",
"singular"
]
},
{
"form": "wyven",
"source": "declension",
"tags": [
"dative",
"plural"
]
},
{
"form": "wife",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "wif",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "wiff",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "wiffe",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "wijf",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "wive",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "wyfe",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "wyff",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
},
{
"form": "wyve",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "noun",
"g": "",
"g2": "",
"g3": "",
"head": "",
"sort": "",
"var": ""
},
"expansion": "wyf",
"name": "head"
},
{
"args": {
"pl": "wyfes",
"pl2": "wyves",
"pl3": "wyve"
},
"expansion": "wyf (plural wyfes or wyves or wyve)",
"name": "enm-noun"
}
],
"lang": "Middle English",
"lang_code": "enm",
"pos": "noun",
"related": [
{
"word": "wyfles"
},
{
"word": "wyfly"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"glosses": [
"woman, female human"
],
"links": [
[
"woman",
"woman"
],
[
"female",
"female"
],
[
"human",
"human"
]
]
},
{
"categories": [
"Middle English terms with quotations",
"Requests for translations of Middle English quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "ca. 1380: It cam in cuppemele — this craft my wif used! — William Langland, Piers Plowman"
},
{
"english": "(please add an English translation of this quotation)",
"text": "ca. 1380, — Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, The Merchant's Tale\nThat in a morwe unto this May saith he\nRys up, my wif, my love, my lady fre",
"translation": "(please add an English translation of this quotation)",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"bold_text_offsets": [
[
226,
229
]
],
"ref": "1474, Caxton, Game and Playe of the Chesse:",
"text": "In lyke wyse as democreon the philosophre put out his owen eyen be cause he wold not see that no good myght come to the euyll and vicyous peple wyth out right And also defortes the philosophre as he went toward his deth / his wyf that folowed after hym saide that he was dampned to deth wrongfully / than he answerd and sayd to her / holde thy peas and be styll / hit is better and more merytorye to dye by a wronge and unrightfull Jugement / than that I had deseruyd to dye.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"wife, female spouse"
],
"links": [
[
"wife",
"wife"
],
[
"female",
"female"
],
[
"spouse",
"spouse"
]
]
},
{
"glosses": [
"The leading woman of a household; a matriarch."
],
"links": [
[
"matriarch",
"matriarch"
]
]
},
{
"glosses": [
"A female animal, especially one mating."
]
},
{
"glosses": [
"A concubine."
],
"links": [
[
"concubine",
"concubine"
]
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/wiːf/"
},
{
"rhymes": "-iːf"
}
],
"word": "wyf"
}
Download raw JSONL data for wyf meaning in Middle English (5.9kB)
{
"called_from": "inflection/735",
"msg": "inflection table: unrecognized header: '(nominative/accusative)'",
"path": [
"wyf"
],
"section": "Middle English",
"subsection": "noun",
"title": "wyf",
"trace": ""
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-25 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (1a05e46 and e3d6d4e). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.