Talk:maiden

MAIDEN as a meaning of something EASY to do or master...

Takenfrom Skeat's book: Berkshire Place Names...

64 PLACE-NAMES OF BERKSHIRE

259- One curious characteristic of our old antiquaries is the persistence with which they refuse to regard Maiden as being an English word. In cases like Maiden Bower and Maiden Castle they call it ' Celtic ' ; and they would sooner call it Egyptian than admit it to be quite a common English word. The modern use ot -head for -hythe is absurd ; but ' maidenhead ' was once so common, in place of e maidenhood ', that it was easily accepted. I take the sense ot Maidenhithe to be 'a. landing-place for maidens', i. e. a place where landing from a boat was very easily accomplished. According to the E.D.D., a Roman road is sometimes called l a maiden way ', as being easy to traverse in the days of ill-made roads. We have a ' Maids' Causeway ' in Cam- bridge ; it merely means ( well-paved walk' or 1 parade '.


 * This source is from 1911 by an author spouting classic British ultranationalism talking points popular in the early 20th century.
 * Maiden was absolutely NOT coined by English speakers. It's from an ancient Germanic root which evolved into our English word AND an Old Irish word meaning "slave"
 * Maidenhead/maidenhythe translates literally to "new wharf" NOT "a water landing so easy a maiden could do it" (???)
 * Maid's Causeway does not mean "a well paved path" because a Causeway is a raised path in a mercy wet area, and the maids that it's named after were elderly impoverished widows who lived in nearby almshouses c1600s
 * First of all a causeway is a raised paved path in marshy or wetlands. Second of all the Maids referenced were poor or widowed women who lived in a nearby almshouse and traveled down this causeway everyday for work.
 * This is a classic example of early 20th century attempts to exaggerate England's accomplishments while actively suppressing or completely negating any contribution from the Irish. But besides all that, even if he meant well every single thing he says here is wrong. Sorry.
 * "Maids' Causeway was named for the benefit the raised causeway brought to the two poor widows and four 'poor godly, ancient maidens' who lived in the Knight and Mortlock's almshouses that were originally at 64-67Not only have I study this exact topic for years, but also we definitely knew what these terms meant and where they came from long before he wrote this so best he just made this all up for no reason.variably to exaggerate England's achievements while minimizing or negating Irish contributions to any sector of British society, culture, or language. I've read a lot of books like this in my studies, plus we definitely already knew what these terms meant when he made his own up for this.
 * Needs causeway in Cambridge LaymansLinguist (talk) 13:21, 19 April 2023 (UTC)

(sometimes offensive): (noun) 1. young unmarried woman; (adjective) 1. first 2. untouched
a young unmarried woman (archaic or literary) (sometimes offensive)

done for the very first time (sometimes offensive): a maiden voyage still in its original, unused, untouched, or unexplored condition (literary) (sometimes offensive): maiden territory Microsoft® Encarta® 2009 --Backinstadiums (talk) 12:55, 1 November 2019 (UTC)

(figuratively) Being a first occurrence or event
In relation to what other meaning(s) does the label (figuratively) apply? --Backinstadiums (talk) 11:46, 10 January 2020 (UTC)
 * I presume that it is #1 "virgin". That is, previously unused.  Spinning  Spark  16:43, 25 July 2020 (UTC)

MAIDEN predates MAID
 is from PIE <*maghu-> "young person (of any gender)"

 is from PIE <*maghu-> "young person (of any gender)"

 is from

Old English kept the diminutive in  "young girl, virgin; maidservant"

In Middle English, maidens could also be virgin men who abstained for religious reasons. Middle English also shortened MAIDEN to MAID for place names and titles (it was usually a reference to the Virgin Mary specifically). By 1300 it meant a maidservant or a lady in waiting and by 1500 it had basically the modern meaning.

Maid is not from the original proto inter European route. It's a shortened version of the later form of Maiden.

The Former pretty much disappeared but the latter became  LaymansLinguist (talk) 12:40, 19 April 2023 (UTC)


 * sorry the formatting is so wonky, my phone hates this website. Etymonline has the whole etymology of each.￼ LaymansLinguist (talk) 12:41, 19 April 2023 (UTC)