*SET-U

CANONICAL RELATIONSHIP RECORD

COVERAGE LEDGER ↗
EDGE / 0867continuationestablished

A CLAIM
YOU CAN AUDIT.

A relationship—not a generated explanation. Both endpoints, every editorial field, every citation, and every dossier reuse are preserved below.

CHILD / LATER FORM / attestedMiddle English · Middle English · woman wife noun

wif

woman; wife

OPEN NODE 865 ↗
DESCENDS FROM→
PARENT / EARLIER FORM / attestedOld English · Old English · woman wife noun

wīf

woman; wife

OPEN NODE 800 ↗
01

THE COMPLETE RELATIONSHIP

EVERY FIELD, NOT A FAIRY TALE

SOUND CHANGE

Middle English wif continues Old English wīf.

SEMANTIC CHANGE

Woman and wife senses continue through medieval English.

CHRONOLOGY

No separate chronology note is attached beyond the endpoint date ranges.

SCHOLAR / EDITORIAL AUTHORITY

Merriam-Webster Editors · American Heritage Dictionary Editors

CONFIDENCE

established — no additional confidence note is attached.

EDITORIAL STATUS

reviewed

02

CITATION REGISTER

SOURCES ON THIS EDGE

S01
Wife — Definition and Word HistoryEtymology: Middle English wif from Old English wīf

Publishes the recorded English continuity.

supportsAUDIT SOURCE ↗ORIGINAL ↗
S02
Wife — American Heritage DictionaryEtymology endpoint at Old English wīf

Independently preserves the secure horizon.

contextAUDIT SOURCE ↗ORIGINAL ↗
03

EDITORIAL REUSE

WHERE THIS CLAIM APPEARS

RELATION / 788wife

wif → wīf

OPEN DOSSIER ↗