where did the word nun come from
Originally from the Old English nunne, from Late Latin nonna nun, tutor, originally (along with masculine nonnus) a term of address to elderly persons, perhaps from children's speech, reminiscent of nana(?).
They are definitely either virgins or widows. The word ânunâ by the way, comes from the Latin nonna â a term of endearment for a grandmother. It is directly related to the English Nana. The consecrated widows, then, bore the title of grandmotherly endearment. In the second century, Saint Justin Martyr attests to consecrated virgins in Rome.