Midwif

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. An individual who assists in childbirth, providing care and support to the mother before, during, and after delivery
2. A professional trained in the management of labor and delivery, focusing on the safety and well-being of both mother and child
3. Someone who offers prenatal and postnatal care, guiding women through pregnancy and the birthing process

Etymology: "Midwif" is an older spelling of "midwife," and the final "e" was added later. The word's first half, "mid," is the Old English preposition meaning "with," so the compound literally means "with-woman," someone who stays with the mother during childbirth. The second half is the surprise. In Old English, "wif" meant simply "woman" and had no connection to marriage. The sense of "wife" as a married woman developed later, and the older meaning survived mainly in compounds like this one and "midwife's" counterpart "housewife," which once meant the woman who ran a household. Over time the "woman" sense of "wif" faded from ordinary use, so the compound now looks like it refers to a wife.