# wife
## English
### Etymology

Inherited from Middle English wyf, wif, from Old English wīf (“woman, wife”), from Proto-West Germanic *wīb, from Proto-Germanic *wībą (“woman, wife”).
Germanic cognates include Scots wife (“wife”), West Frisian wiif (“wife, woman”), Saterland Frisian Wieuw (“woman, lady, female”), North Frisian wüf (“wife, woman”), Dutch wijf (“woman, female”), Low German Wief (“woman, female”), German Weib (“woman, wife, female”), Danish viv (“wife, woman”), Norwegian viv (“wife, woman, girl”), Swedish viv (“woman”), Faroese vív (“wife, woman”), Icelandic víf (“woman”).
The further etymology is unknown, with a number of disputed suggestions. One suggestion connects Tocharian A/B kip/kwīpe (“genitals, female pudenda”), for a hypothetical Indo-European *gʰwíbʰ- (“pudenda”). Another suggestion connects Old English wǣfan (“wrap, clothe”), Old Norse vífa (“wrap, veil”) for a suggested original motive of "married woman wearing a scarf".
Yet another suggestion connects Old High German weibōn (“move to and fro”), Old Norse veifa (“swing, throw”), for a motive of "one who is moving busily; housekeeper, maidservant" (cf. German Weibel (“manservant, usher”)).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /waɪf/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Audio (UK):(file)
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -aɪf

### Noun

wife (plural wives)
* A married woman, especially in relation to her spouse.
    The Fisherman and His Wife
** 1558 April 29, Sir William Drurye, Will of Sir William Drurye [of Hawstede, Suffolk]‎, Prerogative Court of Canterbury, page 1:And I geue vnto the ſame Elizabeth my wif the ſparuers and hangings of the ſame twoo beddes vſuallye occupied, and hanging ouer and about the ſame twoo beddes […]
** 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter X, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:It was a joy to snatch some brief respite, and find himself in the rectory drawing–room. Listening here was as pleasant as talking; just to watch was pleasant. The young priests who lived here wore cassocks and birettas; their faces were fine and mild, yet really strong, like the rector's face; and in their intercourse with him and his wife they seemed to be brothers.
** 1952, P. G. Wodehouse, Big Business, in 'A Few Quick Ones', Everyman, London: 2009, p 127-8.
    All through Reginald's deeply moving performance she had sat breathless, her mind in a whirl and her soul stirred to her very depths. With each low note that he pulled up from the soles of his shoes she could feel the old affection and esteem surging back into her with a whoosh, and long before he had taken his sixth bow she knew ... that it would be madness to try to seek happiness elsewhere, particularly as the wife of a man with large ears and no chin, who looked as if he were about to start in the two-thirty race at Kempton Park.
** 2014 March 3, Zoe Alderton, “‘Snapewives’ and ‘Snapeism’: A Fiction-Based Religion within the Harry Potter Fandom”, in Religions‎, volume 5, number 1, MDPI, →DOI, pages 219–257:Despite personal schisms and differences in spiritual experience, there is a very coherent theology of Snape shared between the wives. To examine this manifestation of religious fandom, I will first discuss the canon scepticism and anti-Rowling sentiment that helps to contextualise the wider belief in Snape as a character who extends beyond book and film.
* The female of a pair of mated animals.
    A new wife for the gander is introduced into the pen.
* (Scotland, puristic elsewhere) Synonym of woman.

#### Usage notes

Although mostly used only humorously, wife can be used with the to indicate one's own wife, as in "I'd like to go, but the wife wants me home".

#### Synonyms

* (married woman): little woman (slang)
* See also Thesaurus:wife

#### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “married woman”): husband, were (noun) (obsolete)

#### Hypernyms

* better half, life partner, partner, significant other, spouse, wedder

#### Derived terms

* aad wife
* all the world and his wife
* apple-wife
* archwife
* bamboo wife
* blue star wife
* brother's wife
* Caesar's wife
* Caesar's wife must be above suspicion
* cockle wife
* country wife
* cyberwife
* Deppford wife
* devil is beating his wife and marrying his daughter
* devil is kissing his wife
* devil's beating his wife
* Dutch wife
* (from woman) alewife
* gold star wife
* husband and wife
* ice wife
* I now declare you man and wife
* Lot's wife
* mob wife
* orange-wife
* oyster wife
* (partner) co-wife, cowife
* (partner) ex-wife, ex wife
* (partner) housewife
* (partner) huswife
* (partner) man and wife
* (partner) trophy wife
* (partner) wifebeater, wife-beater, wife beater
* (partner) wifeless
* (partner) wifey
* plural wife
* prison wife
* seawife
* side-wife
* sister-wife
* spaewife
* Stepford wife
* take a wife
* take to wife
* the world and his wife
* tradwife
* wife acceptance factor
* wife-beating
* wife-beating question
* wife-carl
* wife carrying
* wife-giver
* wife guy
* wife-in-law
* wifekin
* wifelet
* wifelike
* wifeliness
* wifeling
* wifelkin
* wife's best friend
* wife selling
* wifestyle
* wifeswapping
* wife-taker
* wife up
* (woman/partner) wifehood
* (woman) fishwife
* (woman) goodwife
* (woman) midwife
* (woman) old wife, old-wife, oldwife
* (woman) pudding-wife
* (woman) wifely
* work wife

#### Descendants

* Sranan Tongo: wefi
* → Japanese: ワイフ (waifu)
** → English: waifu
* → Korean: 와이프 (waipeu)

#### Translations

Abkhaz: аҳәса (aḥʷsa), аԥҳәыс (apḥʷəs)
Afrikaans: vrou (af)
Ainu: マチ (maci)
Aiton: please add this translation if you can
Akkadian: 𒁮 f (aššatu)
Albanian: grua (sq) f , nuse (sq) , re (sq)(gheg)
Alviri-Vidari: زینه (zine) (Vidari)
Ambonese Malay: maitua
Amharic: ሚስት (am) (mist)
Arabic: زَوْجَة f (zawja), اِمْرَأَة (ar) f (imraʔa)
Egyptian Arabic: زوجَة f (zōga), مرات f (merāt)
Hijazi Arabic: زُوجَة f (zōja)
South Levantine Arabic: مرا f (mara), زوجَة f (zōje)
Armenian: կին (hy) (kin)
Aromanian: ãnveastã f, sutsãlji, nicuchirã f
Assamese: ঘৈণী (ghoini), পত্নী (potni)
Asturian: muyer (ast) f, esposa (ast) f
Avar: лъади class second (lˢadi)
Azerbaijani: arvad (az), zövcə, əyal (archaic)
Bashkir: ҡатын (qatın)
Basque: emazte (eu)
Bats: ფსტუ (psṭu)
Belarusian: жо́нка f (žónka)
Bengali: বিবি (bn) (bibi), বেগম (bn) (begom), বউ (bn) (bou), আহলিয়া (bn) (ahliẏa), আওরত (bn) (aōrot), জরু (bn) (joru), স্ত্রী (bn) (stri), পত্নী (bn) (potni)
Betawi: bini
Bhojpuri: लुगाई (lugāī), जोरू (jōrū)
Bookan: andu
Breton: gwreg (br) f
Bulgarian: жена́ (bg) f (žená), съпру́га (bg) f (sǎprúga)
Burmese: မယား (my) (ma.ya:), ဇနီး (my) (ja.ni:) (formal)
Buryat: һамган (hamgan)
Butuanon: asawa
Carpathian Rusyn: жона́ f (žoná), жена́ f (žená), ма́нжелка f (mánželka)
Catalan: dona (ca) f, muller (ca) f
Cebuano: asawa
Chakma: please add this translation if you can
Chechen: зуда (zuda)
Chickasaw: imihoo
Chinese:
Cantonese: 妻子 (cai$^1$ zi$^2$) (formal), 老婆 (lou$^5$ po$^4$), 太太 (taai$^3$ taai$^{3-2}$) (polite)
Dungan: чижын (čiřɨn), чи (či), пәе (pəi͡ə)
Eastern Min: 老媽 / 老妈 (lâu-mā)
Gan: 老婆 (lau$^3$ po)
Hakka: 餔娘 / 𫗦娘 (pû-ngiòng), 太太 (thai-thai), 老姐 (ló-chiá)
Hokkien: 某 (zh-min-nan) (bóo), 某囝 (zh-min-nan) (bó͘-kiáⁿ), 家後 / 家后 (zh-min-nan) (ke-āu), 牽手 / 牵手 (zh-min-nan) (khan-chhiú), 牽的 / 牵的 (khan--ê), 太太 (zh-min-nan) (thài-thài), 查某人 (zh-min-nan) (cha-bó͘-lâng)
Jin: 老婆 (lau$^2$ pe$^1$)
Mandarin: 妻子 (zh) (qīzi), 老婆 (zh) (lǎopo) (colloquial), 愛人 / 爱人 (zh) (àirén) (PRC, husband or wife), 太太 (zh) (tàitai) (polite), 內人 / 内人 (zh) (nèirén) (literary, humble)
Northern Min: 老媽 / 老妈 (sē-mǎ)
Teochew: 某 (bhou$^2$), 老婆 (lao$^6$ pua$^5$)
Wu: 老婆, 太太 ($^1$tha-tha), 妻子 ($^1$chi-tsy)
Xiang: 堂客 (dan$^2$ ke$^6$)
Chukchi: ӈэвъэн (ṇėvʺėn)
Coptic:
Bohairic: ⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ f (shime)
Sahidic: ϩⲓⲙⲉ f (hime)
Cornish: gwreg
Crimean Tatar: apaqay f, apay f
Czech: manželka (cs) f, žena (cs) f, choť (cs) f
Dalmatian: mojer f, molier f, mulir m
Danish: hustru (da) c, kone (da) c, frue (da) c
Dibabawon Manobo: asawa
Dutch: vrouw (nl) f, echtgenote (nl) f
Eastern Cham: ꨨꨕꨳꨪꩇ (hadi`ip)
Egyptian: (ḥmt f), (ḥbsyt f), (snt f)
Erzya: ни (ni), пола (pola)
Esperanto: edzino (eo)
Estonian: naine (et)
Evenki: аси (asi)
Faliscan: uxo
Faroese: kona (fo) f, vív n
Finnish: vaimo (fi), aviovaimo (fi)
French: femme (fr) f, épouse (fr) f
Friulian: femine f, muîr f, cristiane f
Galician: esposa (gl) f, muller (gl) f, dona f
Georgian: ცოლი (coli)
German: Ehefrau (de) f, Frau (de) f, Eheweib (de) n, Weib (de) n, Gemahlin (de) f, Gattin (de) f
Gothic: 𐌵𐌴𐌽𐍃 f (qēns)
Greek: σύζυγος (el) f (sýzygos), γυναίκα (el) f (gynaíka), συμβία (el) f (symvía)
Ancient: γαμετή f (gametḗ), δάμαρ f (dámar), ὄαρ f (óar) (Epic)
Greenlandic: nuliaq
Guaraní: embireko (t-)
Gujarati: પત્ની f (patnī), બૈરી f (bairī), ભાર્યા f (bhāryā), સ્ત્રી (gu) f (strī), જોરૂ f (jorū), વહુ f (vahu), નારી f (nārī), બાઈડી f (bāīḍī), ઓરત f (orat), બીબી f (bībī)
Hausa: matar aure
Hawaiian: wahine
Hebrew: אִשָּׁה (he) f (ishá), בַּת זוּג (he) f (bat zúg)
Higaonon: asawa
Hindi: पत्नी (hi) f (patnī), बीवी (hi) f (bīvī), गृहणी (hi) f (gŕhṇī), भार्या (hi) f (bhāryā), वल्लभा (hi) f (vallabhā), वधू (hi) f (vadhū), स्त्री (hi) f (strī), गृहिणी (hi) f (gŕhiṇī), जाया (hi) f (jāyā), जनि (hi) f (jani), जोरू (hi) f (jorū), घरवाली (hi) f (gharvālī), लुगाई (hi) (lugāī), अर्धांगिनी f (ardhāṅginī)
Hungarian: asszony (hu), feleség (hu)
Icelandic: eiginkona (is) f, kona (is) f
Ido: spozino (io)
Indonesian: istri (id)
Ingrian: nain, naisikko, vaimo (folk poetic)
Ingush: цӏен-нана (cʼen-nana), сесаг (sesag)
Interlingua: sponsa, sposa, uxor
Irish: bean (ga) f, bean chéile f
Old Irish: ben f, séitig f
Istriot: muier f
Italian: sposa (it) f, moglie (it) f
Japanese: 妻 (ja) (つま, tsuma), 家内 (ja) (かない, kanai) (only for speaker's), ワイフ (ja) (waifu), 奥さん (ja) (おくさん, okusan) (traditionally except for speaker's), 奥様 (ja) (おくさま, okusama) (except for speaker's, honorific), 夫人 (ja) (ふじん, fujin) (humble), ご夫人 (ごふじん, go-fujin) (honorific)
Javanese: rabi, bojo wadon, garwa putri
Jeju: 각시 (gaksi), 집잇사름 (jibitsareum) (humble)
Kaingang: mré nĩ fi
Kamba: kiveti
Kannada: ಪತ್ನಿ (kn) (patni)
Karachay-Balkar: юй бийче (yuy biyçe), юйдеги (yuydegi), къатын (qatın)
Kashmiri: آشَنؠ (ks) (āśan'), آشێنؠ (āśen'), کۄلَے (ks) (kọlaē), خانہٕ دارێنؠ (xānụdāren'), رٔنؠ (ks) (rạn'), زَنان (zanān), گَرواجیٚنؠ (ks) (garvājen')
Kazakh: әйел (kk) (äiel), жар (jar), қатын (qatyn)
Khamti: please add this translation if you can
Khmer: ប្រពន្ធ (km) (prɑpŭən), ភរិយា (km) (phĕəʼriyiə), ឃរណី (km) (khɔnəy)
Kikuyu: mũka class 1, mũtumia class 1
Korean: 아내 (ko) (anae) (humble), 집사람 (ko) (jipsaram) (humble), 안사람 (ko) (ansaram) (humble), 안해 (ko) (anhae) (North Korea, humble), 마누라 (ko) (manura) (humble), 와이프 (waipeu) (humble, colloquial, South Korea), 부인(夫人) (ko) (bu'in) (honorific)
Krio: wef
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: ژن (ckb) (jin), خێزان (ckb) (xêzan)
Northern Kurdish: jin (ku), kebanî (ku), xanim (ku)
Kyrgyz: аял (ky) (ayal), катын (katın)
Ladin:
badiot: fomena f
fascian: fémena f
gherdëina: fëna f
Lao: ເມຍ (mīa), ພັນລະຍາ (phan la nyā), ບໍລິຈາ (bǭ li chā), ປັດຕະນິ (pat ta ni), ປະລິຈາລິກາ (pa li chā li kā), ຊານິກາ (sā ni kā) (royal), ຊາຍາ (sā nyā)
Latgalian: sīva f
Latin: uxor (la) f, nupta f, femina (la) f, mulier (la) f, marita f, coniunx (la) f, matrona
Latvian: sieva (lv), dzīvesbiedre f, dzīvesbiedrene f
Laz: ჩილი (çili)
Lithuanian: pati (lt) f, žmona (lt) f
Lolopo: maerssor
Lombard: miee (lmo) f
Louisiana Creole French: fenm, épouz
Low German:
German Low German: Ehfro f, Fro (nds) f, Ehfru f, Fru (nds) f
Lü: ᦵᦙ (me)
Luganda: mukyala wange
Luhya: omkhasi
Lycian: 𐊍𐊀𐊅𐊀 (lada)
Macedonian: же́на (mk) f (žéna), со́пруга f (sópruga)
Malagasy: andefimandry (mg), tokantrano (mg)
Malay: isteri (ms), bini (ms)
Malayalam: ഭാര്യ (ml) (bhārya), പത്നി (ml) f (patni)
Maltese: mara (mt) f
Manchu: ᠰᠠᡵᡤᠠᠨ (sargan)
Manx: ben-phoost
Maori: hoa wahine, wahine (mi), hoa rangatira
Maranao: lilang
Marathi: नवरी f (navrī), बायको f (bāyko), पत्नी f (patnī)
Mari:
Eastern Mari: вате (vate)
Mbyá Guaraní: embireko, a'yxy
Megleno-Romanian: niveastă f
Mingrelian: ოსური (osuri), ჩილი (čili)
Moksha: рьвя (ŕvä)
Mongolian:
Cyrillic: гэргий (mn) (gergii), эхнэр (mn) (exner)
Mongolian: ᠭᠡᠷᠭᠡᠢ (gergei), ᠡᠬᠡᠨᠡᠷ (ekener)
Mwani: muka
Nanai: аси (asi)
Navajo: hweʼesdzáán
Neapolitan: mugliera f
Nepali: पत्नी (patnī)
Norman: faume f (Guernsey), bouônnefemme f (Jersey)
Northern Ohlone: háw̄a
Norwegian:
Bokmål: hustru m or f, kone (no) m or f, frue (no) m or f
Nynorsk: hustru f, kone f, frue f
Nuosu: ꀋꃀꀉꑳ (ap mop ax yi)
Occitan: femna (oc) f
Odia: ସ୍ତ୍ରୀ (stri)
Ojibwe: niwiidigemaagan
Old Church Slavonic:
Cyrillic: жена f (žena)
Glagolitic: ⰶⰵⱀⰰ f (žena)
Old East Slavic: жена f (žena)
Old English: wīf n
Old French: fame f, fam f
Oromo: niitii
Ossetian: бинойнаг (binojnag), ус (us)
Pa'o Karen: မာ (blk)
Pannonian Rusyn: супруга f (supruha), товаришка f (tovariška)
Pashto: ښځه (ps) f (x̌ᶕja), زوجه (ps) f (zawja), ورتينه f (wərtina)
Persian:
Dari: زَن (zan), زَوْجَه (zawja)
Iranian Persian: زَن (zan), زُوْجِه (zowje)
Phake: please add this translation if you can
Plautdietsch: Wief (nds) f
Polish: żona (pl) f, małżonka (pl) f
Portuguese: esposa (pt) f, mulher (pt) f
Punjabi: ਪਤਨੀ (patnī)
Rohingya: bou
Romagnol: mój f, mujéṟ f
Romani: rromni f
Romanian: soție (ro) f, nevastă (ro) f, muiere (ro)
Romansch: dunna f, duonna f, cunsorta f, duna f, donna f
Russian: жена́ (ru) f (žená), супру́га (ru) f (suprúga), жёнка (ru) f (žónka) (colloquial or regional)
S'gaw Karen: မါ (mah)
Sanskrit: पत्नी (sa) f (patnī), भार्या (sa) f (bhāryā), दयिता (sa) f (dayitā), जाया (sa) f (jāyā), वल्लभा (sa) f (vallabhā)
Santali: ᱨᱤᱱᱤᱡ (rinic’), ᱮᱨᱚ (erô)
Sardinian: mugere f, mullei f, mulleri f, mutzere f, muzere f
Scots: guidwife
Scottish Gaelic: bean-chèile f, bean-phòsda (gd) f
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: жѐна f, су̏пруга f
Roman: žèna (sh) f, sȕpruga (sh) f
Sicilian: mugghieri (scn) f
Sinhalese: බිරිඳ (biriⁿda), භාර්යාව (bhāryāwa), පවුල (si) (pawula)
Slovak: manželka (sk) f, žena (sk) f
Slovene: žéna (sl) f, soproga f
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: žeńska f, žona f
Upper Sorbian: žona (hsb) f
Southern Altai: кадын (kadïn), кадыт (kadït)
Spanish: esposa (es) f, mujer (es) f
Sundanese: garwa, bojo, pamajikan
Svan: ხეხუ̂ (xexû)
Swahili: mke (sw) (1/2)
Swedish: hustru (sv), maka (sv), fru (sv)
Tabasaran: хпиб (ꭓpib)
Tagalog: esposa (tl), babaeng asawa
Tai Dam: ꪣꪸ
Tai Nüa: please add this translation if you can
Tajik: зан (tg) (zan), завҷа (zavja)
Talysh: ژن (žen) (Asalemi)
Tamil: மனைவி (ta) (maṉaivi), பெண்டாட்டி (ta) (peṇṭāṭṭi)
Taos: łȉwéna
Tarantino: mugghìere f
Tarifit: tamɣart f
Tatar: хатын (tt) (xatın)
Tausug: asawa
Telugu: పెళ్ళాం (te) (peḷḷāṁ), భార్య (te) (bhārya), ఆలి (te) (āli)
Tetum: feen
Thai: ภริยา (th) (pá-rí-yaa), ภรรยา (th) (pan-yaa), เมีย (th) (miia) (may sound impolite)
Tibetan: སྐྱེ་དམན (skye dman)
Tigrinya: ሰበይቲ (säbäyti), ብዓልቲ ቤት (bəʿalti bet)
Tocharian A: śäṃ
Tocharian B: śana
Tupinambá: emirekó (t-)
Turkish: karı (tr), avrat (tr)
Turkmen: aýal (tk)
Tuvan: кадай (kaday)
Ugaritic: 𐎀𐎘𐎚 (ảṯt)
Ukrainian: дружи́на (uk) f (družýna), жі́нка (uk) f (žínka) (colloquial), супру́га f (suprúha)
Urdu: بِیوِی f (bīvī), پَتْنی f (patnī), بیگَم f (begam), اَہْلِیَہ f (ahliya), زَوجَہ f (zauja), زَن f (zan), خاتُونِ خانَہ f (xātūn-i xāna), خانَم f (xānam)
Uyghur: خوتۇن (xotun)
Uzbek: xotin (uz)
Venetan: mojer f, mojere f
Vietnamese: vợ (vi)
Volapük: jimatan (vo)
Walloon: feme (wa) f
Welsh: gwraig (cy) f, gwragedd (cy) f pl
West Coast Bajau: endo
West Frisian: wiif (fy), frou (fy)
White Hmong: pojniam
Wolof: jabar ji, iyawo
Yagnobi: инч (inč)
Yakut: ойох (oyoq), кэргэн (kergen)
Yámana: tuku
Yiddish: ווײַב n (vayb) or f, פֿרוי f (froy)
Yoruba: ìyàwó, aya
Yucatec Maya: atan
Zazaki: pir (diq), cınék, xatun, khatun
Zealandic: vrouwe f, wuuf n
Zhuang: baz, yah
Zulu: umka- class 1a/2a, inkosikazi (zu) class 9/6, unkosikazi class 1a/2a
ǃXóõ: tâa qáe :
    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

#### See also

* uxorial

### Verb

wife (third-person singular simple present wifes, present participle wifing, simple past and past participle wifed)
* (slang, African-American Vernacular) To marry (a woman).
** 2004, “Guinnesses”, in Mm..Food, performed by MF Doom ft. Angelika & 4-IZE:Mentally scarred for life, love is war / And some chicks are just too hard to wife
** 2009, Ashley Antoinette Coleman, JaQuavis Coleman, The Cartel‎, volume 1, →ISBN, page 106:Mecca knew she wasn't lying. She had the type of beauty that made niggas want to wife her.
** 2010, Kenya K. Watkins, The Life You Choose‎, →ISBN, page 154:I thought that I was going to wife her, but because of the new news with my brother I couldn't do it.
** 2016, Gayl Jones, The Healing‎, →ISBN:But I told you that you're not a wifeable woman, and I told him so, and he wanted to wife you anyway.

#### Synonyms

* wive

#### Translations
### See also

* wife on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
* English terms starting with “wife”

### References

* Frank Graham, editor (1987), “WIFE”, in The New Geordie Dictionary, Rothbury, Northumberland: Butler Publishing, →ISBN.
* ↑ Adams, Douglas Q. (1999) A dictionary of Tocharian B (Leiden Studies in Indo-European; 10), Amsterdam, Atlanta: Rodopi, →ISBN, page 238
* ↑ Klaus Totila Schmit and Klaus Strunk, “Toch. B kwī̆pe ‘Schaum, Schande’, A kip ‘Schaum’ und germ. *wīƀa ‘Weib’”, Indogermanica Europaea: Festschrift für Wolfgang Meid (Graz: Institut für Sprachwissenschaft der Universität Graz, 1989), pages 251-284
* ↑ William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “wife”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

### Anagrams

* fiew

## Middle English
### Noun

wife
* Alternative form of wyf

## Old English
### Noun

wīfe
* dative singular of wīf

## Scots
### Etymology

Inherited from Middle English wyf (“woman, wife”), from Old English wīf (“woman”).

### Noun

wife (plural wifes)
* woman
* wife

#### Derived terms

* auld wife (“old woman; gossip; rotating chimney-cowl”)
* fishwife (“fishwife, derogatory for a woman of coarse behaviour, temperament and vocabulary”)
* guidwife (“wife, the mistress of a house, a landlady of an inn”)
* henwife (“a woman in charge of hens”)
* housewifeskip (“housewifery”)
* selkie-wife (“female selkie, mermaid”, literally “female seal”)
* spaewife (“female fortune teller”)
* washerwife (“washerwoman”)
* weedae-wife (“widow”)
* weirdwife (“prophetess, fortune-teller”)