TED-Ed

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/mysteries-of-vernacular-lady-jessica-oreck-and-rachael-teel Why do we call women ladies? Well, etymologically-speaking, the word comes from the Old English words for hlaf (bread) and daege (maid), which, combined, mean the female head of the household and eventually indicated high social standing. Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel follow the word to its contemporary position simply describing a female. Lesson by Jessica Oreck and Rachael Teel, animation by Jessica Oreck.