maidenhood

English

Etymology

From Middle English maydenhode, meidenhod, maȝdenhad, from Old English mæġdenhād (“maidenhood”), equivalent to maiden +‎ -hood.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈmeɪd(ə)nhʊd/

Noun

maidenhood (countable and uncountable, plural maidenhoods)

1. (uncountable) The condition of being a maiden; the time when one is a maiden or young girl.
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “iij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book XI:

     Thenne she said my lord sir launcelot I biseche yow see me as soone as ye may / for I haue obeyed me vnto the prophecy that my fader teld me / And by his commaūdement to fulfille this prophecy I haue gyuen the grettest rychesse and the fayrest floure that euer I had / and that is my maydenhode that I shalle neuer haue ageyne / and therfore gentyl knyȝt owe me youre good wille

     Then she said, My Lord, Sir Lancelot, I beseech you see me as soon as you may / For I have obeyed unto the prophecy that my father told me / And by his commandment to fulfill this prophecy I have given the greatest riches and the fairest flower that ever I had / And that is my maidenhood that I shall never have again / And therefor gentle knight, owe me your goodwill

2. A woman's virginity or maidenhead.
3. Freshness; newness.

Synonyms

• maidhood

Related terms

• maidenhead

Translations

condition of being maiden

• Breton: gwerc'hted
• Bulgarian: моминство n (mominstvo)
• Dutch: maagdelijkheid (nl)
• Finnish: neitsyys (fi)
• French: virginité (fr)
• German: Jungfräulichkeit (de) f
• Irish: iníonacht f, iníonas m, iníonas m, maighdeanas m

  Middle Irish: ingenas m

• Latin: virginitās f
• Macedonian: моминство n (mominstvo)
• Manx: moidynys f
• Polish: dziewictwo (pl) n
• Portuguese: donzelice f, donzelia f
• Russian: деви́чество (ru) n (devíčestvo)
• Scottish Gaelic: òigheachd f, maighdeannas m
• Telugu: కన్నెరికము (te) (kannerikamu)
• Welsh: gwyryfdod m, morwyndod m

maidenhead

• Bulgarian: девственост (bg) f (devstvenost)
• Finnish: neitsyys (fi), immenkalvo (fi)
• Irish: maighdeanas m, ócht f
• Macedonian: девственост f (devstvenost)
• Manx: moidynys f
• Ottoman Turkish: بكارت (bekâret) (unisex); بكر (bikr, bikir) (of a woman)
• Russian: де́вственность (ru) f (dévstvennostʹ)
• Scottish Gaelic: maighdeannas m
• Spanish: virginidad (es), doncellez f