"wyf" meaning in Middle English

See wyf in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /wiːf/, /wif/ Forms: wyfes [plural], wyves [plural], wyve [plural]
Rhymes: -iːf Etymology: From Old English wīf, from Proto-West Germanic *wīb, from Proto-Germanic *wībą, of uncertain origin. Etymology templates: {{inh|enm|ang|wīf}} Old English wīf, {{inh|enm|gmw-pro|*wīb}} Proto-West Germanic *wīb, {{inh|enm|gem-pro|*wībą}} Proto-Germanic *wībą Head templates: {{head|enm|nouns|g=|g2=|g3=|head=|sort=}} wyf, {{enm-noun|pl=wyfes|pl2=wyves|pl3=wyve}} wyf (plural wyfes or wyves or wyve)
  1. woman, female human Categories (topical): Female people
    Sense id: en-wyf-enm-noun-jgtT1hP5 Disambiguation of Female people: 22 23 11 16 28
  2. wife, female spouse Categories (topical): Female people
    Sense id: en-wyf-enm-noun-B~i2WvG7 Disambiguation of Female people: 22 23 11 16 28
  3. The leading woman of a household; a matriarch. Categories (topical): Female people, Household
    Sense id: en-wyf-enm-noun-Es5EYUPq Disambiguation of Female people: 22 23 11 16 28 Disambiguation of Household: 2 4 80 7 8 Categories (other): Middle English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 3 entries, Pages with entries Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 2 7 78 9 4 Disambiguation of Pages with 3 entries: 3 9 75 10 3 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 2 5 84 7 2
  4. A female animal, especially one mating. Categories (topical): Female people
    Sense id: en-wyf-enm-noun-c7NGyal9 Disambiguation of Female people: 22 23 11 16 28
  5. A concubine. Categories (topical): Family, Female people, Marriage
    Sense id: en-wyf-enm-noun-JHMRDIXs Disambiguation of Family: 15 28 12 0 45 Disambiguation of Female people: 22 23 11 16 28 Disambiguation of Marriage: 0 26 32 0 42
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: wife, wif, wiff, wiffe, wijf, wive, wyfe, wyff, wyve Related terms: wyfles, wyfly

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "english": "with respect to gender",
      "word": "wer"
    }
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "en",
            "2": "wife"
          },
          "expansion": "English: wife",
          "name": "desc"
        },
        {
          "args": {},
          "expansion": "(see there for further descendants)",
          "name": "see desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "English: wife (see there for further descendants)"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "sco",
            "2": "wife"
          },
          "expansion": "Scots: wife",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Scots: wife"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "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"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "nouns",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "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": "22 23 11 16 28",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Female people",
          "orig": "enm:Female people",
          "parents": [
            "Female",
            "People",
            "Gender",
            "Human",
            "Biology",
            "Psychology",
            "Sociology",
            "All topics",
            "Sciences",
            "Social sciences",
            "Fundamental",
            "Society"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "woman, female human"
      ],
      "id": "en-wyf-enm-noun-jgtT1hP5",
      "links": [
        [
          "woman",
          "woman"
        ],
        [
          "female",
          "female"
        ],
        [
          "human",
          "human"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "22 23 11 16 28",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Female people",
          "orig": "enm:Female people",
          "parents": [
            "Female",
            "People",
            "Gender",
            "Human",
            "Biology",
            "Psychology",
            "Sociology",
            "All topics",
            "Sciences",
            "Social sciences",
            "Fundamental",
            "Society"
          ],
          "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",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "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": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "wife, female spouse"
      ],
      "id": "en-wyf-enm-noun-B~i2WvG7",
      "links": [
        [
          "wife",
          "wife"
        ],
        [
          "female",
          "female"
        ],
        [
          "spouse",
          "spouse"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "2 7 78 9 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "3 9 75 10 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 3 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 5 84 7 2",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "22 23 11 16 28",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Female people",
          "orig": "enm:Female people",
          "parents": [
            "Female",
            "People",
            "Gender",
            "Human",
            "Biology",
            "Psychology",
            "Sociology",
            "All topics",
            "Sciences",
            "Social sciences",
            "Fundamental",
            "Society"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "2 4 80 7 8",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Household",
          "orig": "enm:Household",
          "parents": [
            "Home",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The leading woman of a household; a matriarch."
      ],
      "id": "en-wyf-enm-noun-Es5EYUPq",
      "links": [
        [
          "matriarch",
          "matriarch"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "22 23 11 16 28",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Female people",
          "orig": "enm:Female people",
          "parents": [
            "Female",
            "People",
            "Gender",
            "Human",
            "Biology",
            "Psychology",
            "Sociology",
            "All topics",
            "Sciences",
            "Social sciences",
            "Fundamental",
            "Society"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A female animal, especially one mating."
      ],
      "id": "en-wyf-enm-noun-c7NGyal9"
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "15 28 12 0 45",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Family",
          "orig": "enm:Family",
          "parents": [
            "People",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "22 23 11 16 28",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Female people",
          "orig": "enm:Female people",
          "parents": [
            "Female",
            "People",
            "Gender",
            "Human",
            "Biology",
            "Psychology",
            "Sociology",
            "All topics",
            "Sciences",
            "Social sciences",
            "Fundamental",
            "Society"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "0 26 32 0 42",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Marriage",
          "orig": "enm:Marriage",
          "parents": [
            "Culture",
            "Family",
            "Society",
            "People",
            "All topics",
            "Human",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A concubine."
      ],
      "id": "en-wyf-enm-noun-JHMRDIXs",
      "links": [
        [
          "concubine",
          "concubine"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/wiːf/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/wif/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-iːf"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "wife"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "wif"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "wiff"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "wiffe"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "wijf"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "wive"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "wyfe"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "wyff"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "wyve"
    }
  ],
  "word": "wyf"
}
{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "english": "with respect to gender",
      "word": "wer"
    }
  ],
  "categories": [
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "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 3 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:Middle English/iːf",
    "Rhymes:Middle English/iːf/1 syllable",
    "enm:Family",
    "enm:Female people",
    "enm:Household",
    "enm:Marriage"
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "en",
            "2": "wife"
          },
          "expansion": "English: wife",
          "name": "desc"
        },
        {
          "args": {},
          "expansion": "(see there for further descendants)",
          "name": "see desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "English: wife (see there for further descendants)"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "sco",
            "2": "wife"
          },
          "expansion": "Scots: wife",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Scots: wife"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "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"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "nouns",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "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",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "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": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "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/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/wif/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-iːf"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "wife"
    },
    {
      "word": "wif"
    },
    {
      "word": "wiff"
    },
    {
      "word": "wiffe"
    },
    {
      "word": "wijf"
    },
    {
      "word": "wive"
    },
    {
      "word": "wyfe"
    },
    {
      "word": "wyff"
    },
    {
      "word": "wyve"
    }
  ],
  "word": "wyf"
}

Download raw JSONL data for wyf meaning in Middle English (3.8kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). 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.