The English term "girl" initially occurred between 1250 and 1300 CE, and it was derived from the Anglo-Saxon word "gerle" (also spelled "girle" or "gurle"). "Girl" has been used to refer to any young unmarried lady since around 1530. It was initially used to signify "sweetheart" in 1648. The word "woman" comes from the Germanic term "wina," which means "female human being". Women were originally classified by their marital status: married women were "women", while single women were "girls". Only when married women became parents did they become "mothers". The word "male" does not appear in any language until much later than the word "female", and even then it was only used in reference to animals. The first recorded use of the word "male" to describe humans was in 1772. Before this time, people called men men and boys boys, regardless of their sexual orientation. It is believed that the word "girl" came from the Anglo-Saxon term "gerle", which meant "young woman". Although this is true, it wasn't always used in reference to unmarried ladies. Before the 19th century, the word "girl" was also used to describe any young woman who had reached puberty. In fact, the word "woman" didn't come into usage until many years after "girl" began being used as a term for adults.