Wordwyrt

beldam

Meaningfair

Common meaning: old woman, often used disparagingly

Journey through time

  1. Latinbella‘fair’source
  2. Frenchmeaning shiftsfair → beautiful ladybelle dame‘beautiful lady’source
  3. Middle Englishmeaning shiftsbeautiful lady → grandmother or old womanbeldame‘grandmother or old woman’source
  4. Englishbeldam‘old woman, often used disparagingly’ · 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: not available. Respelling: generated.
  • US IPA: not available. Respelling: generated.

Origin: Built on Latin bella ‘fair’.

Roots

  • bella Latin “a fair lady”

Related words

belladonna

Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app