'applewoman' originates from English, specifically the words 'apple' and 'woman', where 'apple' meant 'apple' (the fruit) and 'woman' meant 'adult female'.

'apple' comes from Old English 'æppel' and 'woman' from Old English 'wifmann' (later 'woman'); the compound 'apple-woman' appeared in Early Modern English to denote a woman who sold apples and was later written as 'applewoman'.

Initially it referred generally to a woman associated with apples; over time it became specialized to mean a female street or market seller of apples.