From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| This article is within the scope of the following WikiProjects: |
| WikiProject Greece (Rated Stub-Class) |
 |
This article is within the scope of the WikiProject Greece, an attempt to expand, improve and standardize the content and structure of articles related to Greece. |
| If you would like to participate, you can improve Megaera, or sign up and contribute in a wider array of articles like those on our to do list. If you have any questions, please consult the FAQ. |
| Stub |
This article has been rated as Stub-Class on the quality scale. (comments) |
| Low |
This article has been rated as a Low priority article |
| Additional information: |
|
|
|
|
This article has been checked against the following criteria for B-Class status:
 Referencing and citation: not checked- Coverage and accuracy: not checked
- Structure: not checked
- Grammar: not checked
- Supporting materials: not checked
|
|
|
[edit] Comments
The authoritative “Diccionario de la Lengua española (22a. edición) de la Real Academia Española,” notes that the Spanish word for woman, mujer, is derived from the Latin “mulier” or “mulieris”, also meaning woman (Del lat. mulĭer, -ēris). Contrary to the impression given by the fanciful etymology megaera – mujer, the origin of the word “mulier” is unknown, but the word possibly may be derived from a root meaning “soft, delicate.” See http://www.sussex.ac.uk/linguistics/documents/where_do_mama2.pdf.
As detailed by Thelma Cheren in her 1971 article “Gynecology: an Etymological Note” (see http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=197651&blobtype=pdf), ”mulier” is said to come from the comparative form “mollior,” of the word “mollis,” meaning “soft” or tender” or “pliable” or “gentle.” Other words sharing this origin include “mollify” and “emollient.” The postulated root word “mol” signifies grinding down by force, at first literally and later figuratively. The literal meaning is captured in modern English words such as “meal” (ground grain), “mill” (to grind) and “molar“ (grinding tooth). Behind the root word “mol” lies an older root word, “mar,” meaning to crush, pound, or destroy, which has given us modern words as diverse as morbid, murder, Mars, and milk.
- Yes, that seems reasonable. I have removed the reference to Spanish. The French, Italian, and Portuguese terms, however, seem more likely to derive from it, because the vowel is different from the Latin root. Rigadoun (talk) 18:38, 14 November 2006 (UTC)
