Beldam

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An elder female figure is frequently depicted as sinister or linked to sorcery
2. This term refers to an elderly woman who is commonly characterized as malignant or possessing supernatural qualities
3. An old woman who is often imagined as malevolent or having magical powers

Etymology: The most striking twist here is that "beldam" began as a compliment. Its first half, "bel," came from Old French "bel," meaning "beautiful" or "fine," which traces back to Latin "bellus," meaning "pretty" or "handsome." The second half, "dam," meant "mother" or "lady" and descends from Latin "domina," "mistress" or "lady of the house." Put together in late Middle English, the phrase described a fine or attractive lady, much like the courtly sense of "dame" itself. Over the following centuries the word soured. The "bel" part, still meaning "fine," was reinterpreted in ways that drifted from admiration, and "beldam" came to be applied to an old woman rather than a young and beautiful one. Its connotations darkened until it suggested a hag, a crone with a sinister or witch-like reputation. The shift from a term of respect to one of spite is a clear example of how a word's social image can reverse while its parts stay the same.