Middle English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Old English dohtor, from Proto-West Germanic *dohter.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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doughter (plural doughters or doughtren or deghter or (rare) doughter or (rare) deghteres or (rare) dehtren, genitive doughter or doughters)

  1. One's daughter; one's female direct progeny.
    • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎[1], published c. 1410, Matheu 10:35, page 4v, column 2; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:
      foꝛ I cam to departe a man aȝenes his fadir .· ⁊ þe douȝtir aȝenes hir modir · ⁊ þe ſones wijf aȝenes þe hoſebondis modir
      Because I came to divide a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against [her] mother-in-law.
    • late 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Clerk's Tale, The Canterbury Tales, line 442-444:
      Nat longe tyme after that this Grisild
      Was wedded, she a doughter hath y-bore,
      Al had hir lever have born a knave child.
      Not long time after this Griselda
      Was married, she has borne a daughter,
      Although she would rather have given birth to a male child.
  2. One of one's female inheritors (also used metaphorically in religion)
  3. A woman who lives in or inhabits a certain nation.
  4. A religious woman, especially one who has given herself to the monastic lifestyle.
  5. A habit or behaviour viewed as one of the mental progeny of someone or something.
  6. A term of friendship used when talking to a woman.
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Descendants

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References

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