Scotswoman

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A woman who was born in or comes from Scotland, the northern part of the United Kingdom
2. A female native or citizen of Scotland, a country that forms part of the United Kingdom
3. Someone of the female sex whose origins or nationality lie in the country of Scotland

Etymology: The word is a plain compound: "Scots" (the adjective meaning of or from Scotland) joined to "woman." The second element has a long history of its own. "Woman" descends from Old English "wīfmann," literally "wife-man" or "female person," built from "wīf" (wife, woman) and "mann" (person). Over time the first part lost its sense and "wīfmann" was reduced to "woman," which was then used as a second element in compounds such as "Scotswoman." Like "Englishwoman" and "Frenchwoman," this word follows an established English pattern in which "-woman" is attached to a national or regional adjective to name a female inhabitant or native. Its formation is straightforward, and its parts are both ordinary English words with ancient roots.

Synonyms: Scot