'freewoman' originates from Old English elements, specifically 'frēo' and 'wīfmann', where 'frēo' meant 'free' and 'wīfmann' meant 'woman'.

'freewoman' developed from the Old English compound elements (frēo + wīfmann), through Middle English forms such as 'fre womman' or 'fre wifman', and eventually became the modern English compound 'freewoman'.

Initially it meant 'a woman who is free (not a slave or serf)'; over time the basic sense remained but the word became less common and is now largely archaic or used in historical/legal contexts (including municipal 'freewoman' privileges).