'laywoman' originates from Modern English, formed by combining 'lay' + 'woman'. 'Lay' (in the sense 'not clerical') ultimately comes from Medieval Latin 'laicus' (via Old French 'laic'), where 'laicus' meant 'of the people'; 'woman' comes from Old English 'wīfmann' (wif + mann).

'laicus' (Medieval Latin) → Old French 'laic' → Middle English forms 'laik/lay' (meaning 'not clerical'); 'wīfmann' (Old English) → Middle English 'wommen/woman' → modern 'woman'; these elements combined in Modern English to form 'laywoman'.

Originally, 'lay' primarily meant 'of the people' or 'not belonging to the clergy'; over time it retained this contrast with clergy but also broadened in some contexts to mean 'non-expert' or 'nonprofessional'. The compound 'laywoman' initially meant 'a woman who is not a member of the clergy' and can now also be used more generally for women who are not professionals or specialists in a field.