mulier

Etymology
From.

Noun

 * 1)  Lawful issue born in wedlock, in distinction from an elder brother born of the same parents before their marriage.

Etymology
From, of uncertain origin; it has been proposed that it might derive from , comparative of. Others propose it might be akin to and therefore mean “the milk-giver”.

The former is from Isidore's Etymologies: "Mulier vero a mollitie, tanquam mollier, detracta littera vel mutata, appellata est mulier".

Noun

 * 1) a woman, female
 * 2)  a wife
 * 3)  a coward, poltroon
 * 4)  a virgin adult
 * 1)  a coward, poltroon
 * 2)  a virgin adult
 * 1)  a coward, poltroon
 * 2)  a virgin adult

Usage notes
A mulier was a woman who was married in contrast with a. Thus, if a noble young girl of age 12 got married, she would be called a mulier even though by today's standards, we would not call this girl a "woman". In contrast, if a common young woman of age 19 or 21 was still unmarried, she often was still called a virgo despite being much older than that young noble girl married at age 12.

If an older woman for whatever reason was not married off, she could be called a mulier too, so it is not a term used exclusively for married women.

Descendants

 * Balkan Romance:
 * Dalmatian:
 * Italo-Romance:
 * Insular Romance:
 * North Italian:
 * Gallo-Italic:
 * Old
 * Old
 * Gallo-Romance:
 * Old Francoprovençal: moillier, muillier
 * Occitano-Romance:
 * Ibero-Romance:
 * Borrowings:
 * North Italian:
 * Gallo-Italic:
 * Old
 * Old
 * Gallo-Romance:
 * Old Francoprovençal: moillier, muillier
 * Occitano-Romance:
 * Ibero-Romance:
 * Borrowings:
 * Gallo-Romance:
 * Old Francoprovençal: moillier, muillier
 * Occitano-Romance:
 * Ibero-Romance:
 * Borrowings:
 * Occitano-Romance:
 * Ibero-Romance:
 * Borrowings:
 * Occitano-Romance:
 * Ibero-Romance:
 * Borrowings:
 * Ibero-Romance:
 * Borrowings:
 * Borrowings:
 * Borrowings:
 * Borrowings:
 * Borrowings:
 * Borrowings:
 * Borrowings: