Czy etymologia polskiego wyrazu kobieta na zawsze pozostanie nierozwiązaną zagadką?
Will the etymology of the Polish word kobieta (woman) forever remain unknown?

Summary/Abstract: The subject of the article is the chronology and etymology of the Polish word kobieta. The previous attempts to explain these issues are discussed critically so far a completely new perspective on the origin of the word is proposed. These can be summarised in several points: 1. the word kobieta (woman) appeared as a negatively characterised, mocking and jocular, with a tinge of contempt, name for a female person in the Sowizdrzal literature in the 16th century; 2. the original meaning of the word is 'mercenary, worker, a person of low social status, usually coming from the countryside, doing only uncomplicated physical work'; 3. the name is derived from the colour of domestic animals, especially cattle, cf. kobielaty wół, kobielata krowa, because taking care of domestic animals was one of the basic duties of rural women; 4. the process of word formation may have proceeded as follows: przekobiały > kobiały > kobielaty, kobielata (cow) > kobie(la)ta (probably an irregular development caused by the high frequency of the word) > kobieta/kobita (perhaps under the influence of the word najmita); 5. the choice of such colours of cattle and other domestic animals, alluding to the white colour, indicates that the intention was to create an allusive word in relation to the literary form białogłowa, which, however, has a mocking and contemptuous character.

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