The story
- Proto-Indo-European*dem-
- Proto-Indo-European*dṓmder.?
- Proto-Italic*domVnos
- Latindominus
- Latindominicus
- Vulgar Latin*dominicella
- Vulgar Latin*domnicella
- Old Frenchdomnizelle
- Old Frenchdamoisele
- Middle Englishdameisele
- English todaydamsel
From Middle English dameisele, from Old French damoisele, from Vulgar Latin *domnicella, a diminutive from Classical Latin domina (“mistress, lady”), from dominus, from *demh₂-. Doublet of demoiselle, doncella, and donzella.
Words from the same roots
Vulgar Latin*domnicella all →
donzella
Latindomina all →
damedominaduennabeldame
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.