'attorneyship' is formed in Modern English from 'attorney' + the suffix '-ship'. 'Attorney' originates from Old French 'atorné'/'atorner' (from Vulgar Latin *attornare), where 'ad-' meant 'to' and 'turnare/torner' meant 'to turn/appoint'; the suffix '-ship' comes from Old English 'scipe' meaning 'state, condition, quality'.

'Attorney' passed into Middle English from Old French 'atorné'/'atorner' as 'attorney'; '-ship' derives from Old English 'scipe' and later Middle English '-ship(e)'; the compound 'attorneyship' developed in Modern English by combining the noun with the productive suffix to indicate office or status.

Initially related to being 'appointed' or 'one appointed' (the sense of 'attorney' as a person appointed to act), over time the compound came to denote the office, status, or function (the 'state/condition') of being an attorney.