beldame

The story

1. Latin · derived fromdomina“a mistress, lady”
2. Latin · derived frombellus
3. Old French · derived frombel“beautiful”
4. Middle English · derived frombel“attractive, fine, good”
5. Middle English · inherited frombeldame, beldam
6. English todaybeldame

Inherited from late (1400–1450) Middle English beldame, beldam, from Middle English bel (“attractive, fine, good”) (from Old French bel (“beautiful”), from Latin bellus) + dame, dam (“a mother, lady”), itself ultimately from Latin domina (“a mistress, lady”).

Words from the same roots