goddess
/ˈɡɒd.ɪs/
noun
Origin
Old English
god — a deity, supreme being
Overview
Meaning Now
- A female deity or divinity.
- A woman of extraordinary beauty, charm, or excellence.
Literal older meaning
female god
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
goddess
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term goddess was formed in Middle English by appending the suffix '-ess' (of Old French origin) to the Germanic root 'god'. Before this construction, Old English used terms like 'gyden' to denote female deities, but this word fell out of use following the Norman Conquest and the subsequent influx of French vocabulary.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*gudą
“divinity, god”
Neuter noun referring to an invoked entity.
- Old English
god
“God, a god, deity”
Masculine noun, often applied to the Christian God or pagan deities.
- Middle English
goddess
“female divinity”
Formation using the French-influenced feminine suffix '-ess'.
Connections
Word parts
god
root
a deity
-dess
suffix
feminine marker
Related across languages
Old High German
gotinna
goddess
Old Norse
gyðja
goddess
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.