Kinswoman

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A female individual connected to another by family bonds or marriage ties is referred to as such
2. A woman who is related to someone through family lineage or marital connection
3. A female family member linked to another person by shared ancestry or legal union

Etymology: "Kinswoman" is a plain compound: "kin" joined to "woman," with a linking "-s-" that came in from the genitive of "kin." The Middle English form "kynneswomman" shows that linking element clearly, and it is the same pattern that gives us "kinsman," "kinsfolk," and "kinsfolk's" cousins in older English. In other words, the word is literally "woman of the kin," a female member of a family group. "Kin" itself is an old Germanic word, and the idea behind it is a shared group of blood relations rather than a single person. The "-woman" ending has the same meaning it carries in words like "craftswoman" or "chairwoman," marking a female person. The compound was built from familiar parts, so there is little more to trace beyond the Middle English spelling change that shows how the joined pieces were once spelled.

Synonyms: relative, family member, kin

Antonyms: stranger