Girl - the original meaning.

According to Sol Steinmetz, lexicographer and dictionary editor,(author of Semantic Antics), speaking on the BBC Radio 4 programme, Word of Mouth, 15.4.08, the original meaning of the word girl, was a young child of either sex.

The word boy, was obviously a male child, but females were referred to as wench or maid. It was only later that girl began to mean the opposite of boy, ie a female child.

So maybe, we all did have girlhoods after all. A nice thought.

Angharad.