daughter
/ˈdɔːtər/
noun
Origin
Proto-Indo-European
*dʰugh₂tḗr — daughter
Overview
Meaning Now
- A female offspring of a person.
- A female descendant; someone considered as a daughter in relation to a specific group, country, or tradition.
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
dohtor
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The word is a cognate across the Indo-European family, reflecting a very ancient lineage. It is one of the kinship terms that has remained remarkably stable throughout thousands of years of linguistic divergence.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*dʰugh₂tḗr
“daughter”
Possibly derived from a root meaning 'to milk', relating to the daughter's traditional chores.
- Proto-Germanic
*duhter
“daughter”
- Old English
dohtor
“daughter”
- Middle English
doughter
“daughter”
Connections
Word parts
daughter
root
female offspring
Related across languages
German
Tochter
daughter
Greek
thygatēr
daughter
Sanskrit
duhitṛ
daughter
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Related to daughter
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.