damsel

English

Alternative forms

• (archaic) damoiselle, damozel

Etymology

Middle English, dameisele, from Old French damoisele, from Late Latin *domnicella, from Classical Latin domina (“mistress”), from domus (“house”) (from which English domestic etc.), from Proto-Indo-European *dṓm, from root *demh₂- (“to build”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈdæmzəl/

Noun

damsel (plural damsels)

1. A young woman (of noble birth).
2. A girl; a maiden (without sexual experience).

Derived terms

• damsel in distress
• damselfish
• damselfly

Translations

young woman of noble birth

girl, maiden (without sexual experience)

• Breton: plac'h (br) f, merc'h (br) f
• French: demoiselle (fr) f, jeune femme (fr) f, jeune fille (fr) f
• German: Mädchen (de) f, Jungfrau (de) f
• Hebrew: עלמה (he) f (almah)

• Irish: cailín (ga) m, ainnir (ga) f, maighdean (ga) f
• Scottish Gaelic: ainnir (ga) f, rìbhinn (ga) f, maighdeann (ga) f, nighean (ga) f
• Spanish: doncella (es) f, muchacha (es) f
• Welsh: geneth (cy) f, rhiain (cy) f, merch (cy) f

Anagrams

• medals