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See also:MAIDEN, or MAID , a See also:young unmarried girl. " Maid" is a shortened See also:form of " maiden," O. Eng. maegden, which represents a diminutive of a See also:Teutonic word meaning " young See also:person," of either See also:sex. An old See also:English word " may," meaning a kinsman or kinswoman, and also a virgin or girl, represents the See also:original. In See also:early usage " maiden " as meaning " virgin " is frequently applied to the male sex, thus, in See also:Malory's Morte d'See also:Arthur, See also:Sir Percyvale is called a " parfyte clene megden." Apart from the See also:direct applications of the word to the unmarried See also:state, such as " maiden name," " maiden See also:lady," &c., the word is used adjectivally, implying the preservation of the first state of an See also:object, or indicating a first effort of any See also:kind. Probably a " maiden " fortress is one which has never fallen, though the New English See also:Dictionary suggests that the various "maiden castles" in See also:England, usually See also:ancient earthworks, may have been so called from being so strong that they could be defended by maidens, and points out that See also:Edinburgh See also:Castle, called " maiden-castle " by See also:- WILLIAM
- WILLIAM (1143-1214)
- WILLIAM (1227-1256)
- WILLIAM (1J33-1584)
- WILLIAM (A.S. Wilhelm, O. Norse Vilhidlmr; O. H. Ger. Willahelm, Willahalm, M. H. Ger. Willehelm, Willehalm, Mod.Ger. Wilhelm; Du. Willem; O. Fr. Villalme, Mod. Fr. Guillaume; from " will," Goth. vilja, and " helm," Goth. hilms, Old Norse hidlmr, meaning
- WILLIAM (c. 1130-C. 1190)
- WILLIAM, 13TH
William See also:Drummond of Hawthornden (Speech for Edinburgh to the See also:- KING
- KING (O. Eng. cyning, abbreviated into cyng, cing; cf. O. H. G. chun- kuning, chun- kunig, M.H.G. kiinic, kiinec, kiinc, Mod. Ger. Konig, O. Norse konungr, kongr, Swed. konung, kung)
- KING [OF OCKHAM], PETER KING, 1ST BARON (1669-1734)
- KING, CHARLES WILLIAM (1818-1888)
- KING, CLARENCE (1842–1901)
- KING, EDWARD (1612–1637)
- KING, EDWARD (1829–1910)
- KING, HENRY (1591-1669)
- KING, RUFUS (1755–1827)
- KING, THOMAS (1730–1805)
- KING, WILLIAM (1650-1729)
- KING, WILLIAM (1663–1712)
King), is styled Castrum puellarum, the " castle of the maidens," in See also:Geoffrey of See also:Monmouth. A " maiden " See also:assize, See also:circuit or session is one at which there are no prisoners for trial; a " maiden over " or " maiden " in See also:cricket is an over from which no runs are scored. A " maiden speech " is the first speech made by a member of See also:parliament in the See also:house. In the See also:Annual See also:Register for 1794 (quoted in N.E.D.) the expression, with reference to See also:Canning's first speech, is said to be " according to the technical See also:language of the house." " Maiden " is applied to several See also:objects, to a movable framework or See also:horse for drying and airing of See also:linen, to a washerwoman's " dolly " or wooden beater, to the " kirnbaby " formed of the last sheaf of See also:corn reaped which formerly figured in the Scottish See also:harvest homes, and to the See also:beheading See also:instrument, known as the " Scottish maiden " (see below). " Maid," apart from its See also:primary sense of an unmarried woman, is chiefly used for a domestic See also:female servant, usually with a qualifying word prefixed, such as " housemaid," " parlour-maid," &c.
The See also:title of "MAID OF See also:HONOUR" is given to an unmarried lady attached to the See also:personal See also:suite of a See also:queen.
End of Article: MAIDEN, or MAID
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