Etymology

Godiva

G2O1D2I1V4A1

Today it means: An 11th-century Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who, according to legend, rode unclothed through the streets of Coventry to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation that her husband had imposed on his tenants. Full definition →

Middle English Godiva ← Old English Godġifu
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The story

  1. Old English · inherited fromGodġifu
  2. Middle English · inherited fromGodiva
  3. English todayGodiva

From Middle English Godiva, a Latinised form of Old English Godġifu (literally “God gift”), from god (“god”) + ġifu (“gift”). Doublet of Goody, Goodey.

Words from the same roots

Old EnglishGodġifu all →

goody

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.