foundress

foundress · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*dʰewbʰ-?
2. Proto-Indo-European*bʰudʰmḗn
3. Proto-Indo-European*bʰudʰnós
4. Proto-Indo-European*bʰundʰós
5. Proto-Italic*fundos
6. Latinfundus
7. Latinfundō
8. Latinfundātor
9. Old Frenchfondeor
10. Middle Englishfoundour
11. Middle Englishfounderesse
12. English todayfoundress

From Middle English founderesse, founderesse, foundress (“female founder of a city or religious house; (figuratively) female inventor or originator; (figuratively) a source”) [and other forms]; from founder, foundere, foundour (“founder, establisher, patron”) + -esse (“suffix forming female forms of words”). Foundour is derived from Old French fondeor (“creator, instigator, founder”) (modern French fondeur), from Latin fundātor (“founder”) (rare), from fundō (“to make by smelting, found”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰewd- (“to pour”)) + -tor (suffix forming masculine agent nouns). The English word is analysable as founder + -ess (suffix forming female forms of words).

foundress · noun²

1. Latin · derived fromfundātor“founder”
2. Middle French · derived fromfondeur“owner of a foundry; ironworker in charge of smelting, founder”
3. English todayfoundress

From founder (“one who founds or casts metals”) + -ess (suffix forming female forms of words). Founder is derived from Middle French fondeur (“owner of a foundry; ironworker in charge of smelting, founder”) (modern French fondeur), from Latin fundātor (“founder”) (rare): see further at etymology 1.

Words from the same roots